I hope that many of our readers had the opportunity to watch the moving White House ceremony for the presentation of the Medal of Honor to Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer. According to one reader, the view here at TMV was “[b]etter than TV by a ton.” Above a White House photo of Dakota Meyer having a beer with the President yesterday at a White House patio. The Marine hero had asked the President for such an opportunity. The following is a White House release on the occasion. President...

UPDATE II Hopefully this link will take readers to a live-streaming of the MOH award ceremony: JOIN THE LIVE CHAT VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV ===== Sometimes the most difficult part of writing and publishing an article or essay is picking the title. When, about one month ago, I first heard that Marine Sergeant Dakota L. Meyer, a former Austin resident, would be receiving the Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan, I was so proud—-I am an Austin resident—-that the title was a no-brainer:...

After Michele Bachmann pounced on Rick Perry last night for his executive order mandating young girls to receive the HPV vaccine, former Alaska governor and now conservative darling-celebrity Sarah Palin has also piled on the Texas governor over the same issue, calling it a possible product of “crony capitalism.” Palin has used this term before. According to the New York Times, Palin used it before at a Tea Party rally describing it as generally “the process by which lawmakers become wealthy...

UPDATE: The BBC reports that Saadi Qaddafi, one of Col. Qaddafi’s sons has arrived in neighboring Niger: Niger’s government spokesman and Justice Minister Marou Amadou said Saadi Gaddafi was in a convoy along with eight others. Mr Amadou said the convoy was on its way to Agadez in northern Niger and that Saadi and his companions were being allowed in on humanitarian grounds. Col. Qaddafi’s whereabouts are still unknown. According to the BBC, he has said that he will die in Libya. While...

Good morning, Tomorrow, on the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, we will mourn the innocent lives lost, honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene, and pay tribute to our troops and military families who have served over the past ten years to keep us safe and strong. But, I also hope you’ll remember how the worst terrorist attack in American history brought out the best in the American people. From giving blood, volunteering time, and donating...

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the need for us, Americans, on this 10th anniversary of 9/11, to recommit ourselves to strengthening and bonding our nation from within… An Army chaplain, Major James Key, conducted his final funeral at Arlington National Cemetery a few weeks ago for an active duty soldier who died in combat while serving in Afghanistan. As his eyes “scanned the hallowed stones and granite walls of this sacred place,[he] thought about the day that ultimately put this soldier...

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, as with every previous anniversary, we find ourselves once again trying to make sense of that unprecedented event; once more trying to find a fitting and worthy way to commemorate the tragic anniversary. Most importantly, we are still poignantly reminded of the unfathomable grief and pain that thousands experienced on that day, and probably forever after, but also of the bravery, sacrifice and selflessness displayed by so many others rescuing, helping,...

Texas has been heavily affected this summer by sweltering heat and severe drought. We have broken nearly every record in both categories, and Austin, Texas, has endured 80 days with triple digit temperatures this year—another record. We have also had our share of wildfires which have already cost a tremendous amount in lives, human suffering and material destruction and damage. Already back in April a fire in the Oak Hill section of Austin, Texas, destroyed 11 homes and damaged more than...

When TIME reported in January 2005 that a reporter had helped Army specialist Thomas Wilson “craft” the question he asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about U.S. troops having inadequately armored vehicles, I wrote in a letter published by TIME: That should in no way detract from the seriousness of the shortages and the problems that our troops are facing in combat in Iraq. It does not make Rumsfeld’s answer — “You go to war with the Army you have” — less callous...

The New York Times reports that Qaddafi’s wife and three of his children have fled to Algeria. This according to the Algerian Foreign Ministry. It was the first official news on the whereabouts of any members of the Qaddafi family since he was routed from his Tripoli fortress by rebel forces a week ago, a decisive turn in the Libyan conflict. In a brief announcement carried by Algeria’s official news agency APS, the ministry said Colonel Qaddafi’s wife, Safiya, daughter Aisha, and sons...

In a previous article reflecting on plans, suggestions, rumors and just plain nutty ideas for cutting the defense budget, I pointed to the complexities, murkiness, inter-relationships and inter-dependencies of and among the various so-called defense budgets and cautioned: Whether we are talking about the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program or about our entire national security “program,” our “cutters” must know precisely what to cut, where to cut, how much to cut and the implications,...

UPDATE: While only touched upon in the article below, Dick Cheney is not very charitable when it comes to some of his former colleagues in the Bush administration, such as George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice and Gen. Colin Powell. When asked about that, and about Cheney’s statement that heads would be exploding in Washington, DC, in CBS’ Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer this weekend, Gen. Colin Powell first addresses the “exploding heads” remarks: My head isn’t exploding and I haven’t...

This is a continuation of and update to “Where is Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi?” It now looks like it may be more than just “a few days” before the deposed dictator is caught or killed as the fighting moves to Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte. [Note the spelling change for Gaddafi] The BBC reports: British Tornado jets fired precision-guided missiles at a large bunker in Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte, officials have said. The aircraft took off from RAF Marham...

One of the disgraces that, in my opinion, will continue to stain the image and reputation of our nation for years to come, and which belies—betrays—the true character of our people, is the authorization and execution of torture during the Bush-Cheney administration. What is even more troubling and pathetic is the continuing defense of, even praise for, those techniques by the head cheerleader of the so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques”: former Vice President Dick...

A few words about Cheney’s latest, upcoming, true or not-so-true confessions, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir.” No, I haven’t had access to the book, and, no I am not going to pay the already discounted price of $19.25 (or the $15.75 “pre-order price”) so that I can read it, just as I didn’t read Cheney’s earlier blockbuster and still commented on it—even before it was published. Now, having done away with the formalities, disclaimers...

TMV columnist Shaun Mullen just posted an interesting article with a little bit of history on and memories of past hurricanes and an excellent list of precautions people in the (possible) path of Hurricane Irene should take. You notice I capitalized “Hurricane.” That is because I have great respect and awe for Hurricanes. This may be because of a an extremely close encounter I (and my family) had with a lady listed in Shaun’s “footnote factoid.” The lady’s name was Wilma and the year...

CNN has just reported that all 35 journalists and other foreign nationals who had been held hostage by Qaddafi troops at the Rixos hotel have now been released. All “in good condition.” Pro-Qaddafi forces guarding them did not put any resistance. Journalists “negotiated” with them. Guards said “we are not going to stop you from leaving” From the Washington Post: CNN’s Matthew Chance tweeted Wednesday that all journalists had been freed: “Rixos crisis ends....

UPDATE, 09:00 CST, Aug. 25 In order for the hunt for Qaddafi not to “turn into a protracted affair,” NATO officials confirm that many assets are being used to try to find the elusive despot as soon as possible. According to the BBC: These range from agents on the ground trying to pick up the latest reports and rumours, through to satellites watching for any convoys or unusual movement in the desert, as well as the interception of communications to see if any supporters or Col Gaddafi himself...

UPDATE, 21:30 CST, Aug. 23 The BBC reports that Col Muammar Gaddafi has vowed death or victory in the fight against “aggression.” Some excerpts from the report: Pro-Gaddafi al-Urubah TV said the colonel – whose whereabouts remain unknown – made an audio speech, saying the retreat from the Bab al-Aziziya compound was a “tactical move”. The compound was one of the final areas under Col Gaddafi’s control in Tripoli. :: TV footage also showed fighters breaking...

In “How much is that F-35 in the window,” I wrote about the difficulty of pinning down the true cost of a single F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft or, for that matter, of the entire Joint Strike Fighter Program. Multiply the uncertainties, vagaries, and red tape of pinning down the cost of this aircraft— this program—a thousand fold and one gets an idea of the complexities of coming up with a realistic defense budget, especially for the out years. While the multi-year defense...

GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry reversed himself—some say “walked back, I say “ran back””—on an executive order he issued as Texas governor in Feb. 2007, mandating that young girls receive the expensive HPV (human papillomavirus ) vaccine Gardasil, a vaccine against some strains of a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. A measure that, until last week, he had “staunchly defended … casting it as a ‘pro-life’ attempt to protect women’s...

As Gen. David Petraeus steps down from the helm of what is now America’s longest war, a war that according to many is not going well at all and at a time when casualties in that war are on the increase — sadly accentuated by the tragic loss of 30 of our heroes in a single enemy attack just last week — his accomplishments in Afghanistan and his legacy are already being fiercely debated. To some, the jury is still out but others have already made up their minds, one way or another. TIME’s...

As reported here, Dakota Meyer, a former Marine Corps Sergeant, will be the first living Marine Corps recipient of our nation’s highest award for valor since the Vietnam War and the first living Marine to receive a Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan. The Obama administration has now announced that Meyer will be honored with the award at a White House ceremony on Sept. 15. The Stars and Stripes has provided some additional information on Dakota, who braved intense enemy fire and risked his...

Patrick Edaburn reminded us that 50 years ago today, on August 13, 1961, construction started on the Berlin Wall. I don’t remember much about the day or the event. I was too busy completing the last few weeks of Officer Candidate School, and the Berlin Wall itself did not start going up immediately, as I remember. However, barbed wire went up everywhere, streets were dug up, East German military guards were ever-present and the people from East Berlin were made virtual prisoners. I do remember,...

A weekend New York Times column on the depressing—and depressed— fiscal condition our nation finds itself in begins as follows: The boasts of Congressional Republicans about their cost-cutting victories are ringing hollow to some well-known economists, financial analysts and corporate leaders, including some Republicans, who are expressing increasing alarm over Washington’s new austerity and antitax orthodoxy. As President Obama capitulated to Republicans on the terms of the deficit...