By Bruno
L.A.’s Watchdog
I’m back and I’m barking.
Ron tells me I’ve been missed. That’s flattering, but I’ve been reading his blog in my dog house and figured one guy ranting at the top of his lungs was enough. You didn’t need a dog.
And he and his mob of angry citizens have been doing OK. Measure B failed. Jack Weiss is looking for a job and Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich – who some say bears a remarkable likeness to me – promises to shape up City Hall.
As far as our mayor goes, he doesn’t need me to pile on. He knows what he needs to do.
I’m back because of Memorial Day.
In addition to scaring deliverymen and chewing anything I can get my mouth around, I read a lot. I tossed LA Times – also known as The Dog Trainer — this morning when I got to the Home section feature on how to dump your “beloved” pet during the recession (I’m not kidding) and turned to the more complete and better written Wall Street Journal.
The story headlined “Stalemate” (it’s online) should be read by everyone who thinks the holiday is about barbeques and a three-day weekend.
The story details how a single company of U.S. Marines are slugging it out with a like number of Taliban in an armpit of Afghanistan called Now Zad.
A sample:
”The Marines here now, Lima Co. of 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment, number fewer than 300 men and are currently training their replacements. Being a sideshow to the main effort has meant a daily routine of dangerous patrols through a no man’s land littered with land mines, all the while accepting the fact that at best they’ll go home next month with a tie.
“Matthew Nolen, a 27-year-old Navy corpsman from Memphis, Tenn., insists that each man on his patrols carry two Velcro tourniquets. The assumption is that if a Marine steps on a mine, he’ll likely lose both legs at once, and the corpsman will have two arterial bleeds to stem. Some infantrymen wear tourniquets loose around their ankles, like bracelets, so they can get at them quickly.
“‘It’s not for me,” said Sgt. Roy Taylor, a 23-year-old squad leader from New Orleans. “It’s for the guy next to me.’”
They don’t let dogs like me in the service, but if I could enlist, I’d be a Marine. I clearly have a little Devil Dog in me. And on this Memorial Day I’ll enjoy the steak bones but also remember that next year we might be mourning the death of some Marine patrolling Now Zad right now.
As of May 23, nearly 5,000 men and women serving their country have died in Iraq and Afghanistan (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/). If you have time before the barbeque, visit Arlington West (http://www.arlingtonwestsantamonica.org/index.html) beside the Santa Monica pier and stare out at the sea of black crosses representing each of them and remember what this day is all about. Take your kids. I’ve got a buddy, Roy, a black lab on the Westside with a taste for Styrofoam, whose family goes every year. I’m sure the kid in that family will never forget what Memorial Day is really all about.
The red crosses at Arlington West, by the way, represent 10 dead young Americans each. They ran out of room.
Woof.
Thanks Bruno for doing what dogs do best – they keep their crazy “owners” in the moment by helping us remember what counts. Sadly, what counts this weekend isn’t buried bones, forgotten walks, or the number of naps taken by dogs on a daily basis. Instead, these numbers serve as a painful and continuing reminder of the many who have fought and our fighting for our country and of the lost dreams for many parents. Too bad there isn’t the equivalent for the dogs who gave up their lives in service too, Bruno.
Hi, Bruno. You have been missed and it is a perfect time to give Ron a bit of a rest. I know,
writing about you would not be restful to anyone else, but they probably don’t do what Ron does the rest of his time – namely – he reports on the misdeeds and missteps in our local government
that make tons of money for far too many pols, developers and unions; he encourages neighborhood activists to continue bringing common sense to the way the city works and he
also goes to soooo many meetings. I know I have
learned a lot from ronkayela.com. Take good care of Ron for many, many, many of us whom he has touched! Thank you, Bruno, for the visit. One of your friends.
And there are heroes among us. Dr. Tim Miller, head of reconstructive and plastic surgery at UCLA – and a Vietnam veteran! – does amazing work with horribly burned young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan through Operation Mend. Below is a CBS feature that ran this morning. It’s important to remember the fallen on Memorial Day, but these guys need our attention, too. Everybody might want to send Miller a few bucks.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/22/sunday/main5033650.shtml?tag=topHome;topStories
Technically, I AM NOT A ‘NAM WAR VET – since I never served “in country”. My USAF 51th Fighter Interceptor Wing, Naha Air Base, Okinawa, R.I. [Japan] was first into Korea after North Koreans attacked and first into Tan Son Nhut after the Gulf of Tonkin Crisis [August, 1964] – my unit was combat support. BUT “I WAS IN THE PACAF Theatre of Ops” during Spring, 1963-Fall, 1965 before CONUS rotation. Let’s remember that ‘Nam Vets privately funded our “Wall”, then reached into pockets for spare change to help ‘jump start’ the initial funding – plural – for (a) Korean War Memorial & (b) our ladies who bravely served ‘Nam. Today we continue leading: Helping clear beaches as a self-appointed ‘force recon’ – regardless of service affiliations – for our returning Iraq & Afghan War combat vets, as they battle a three front home battle ground: (1) US Attorneys [while diagnosed with PTSD], (2) other war vets [who detest the idea that some un-seen combat scars rate a Purple Heart] as well as (3) a recalcitrant, immovable VA which still refuses to meet its founding Mission Statement laid on by President A. Lincoln after the Civil War / War Between the States. Got news – this just in: In golfing terms, to all detractors: FORE!!!
Bruno,
It has been a tradition in the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts to go to the Veteran’s Cemetary and plant the flags by the headstones. I have never made it there for that event – it starts at about 7:00 AM on a Saturday morning. But I have seen the photos.
I remember my father’s military funeral – he was a World War II veteran. I remember the rifle fires, and my mother getting the flag.
Many of us can remember the images of John F. Kennedy’s funeral – “Little John saluting” – and his wife in mourning.
I don’t know the answers to why we haven’t figured a way to not have wars. But with these hard times world wide,I think that the international situation is only going to get worse.
Bruno – you might want to walk in Westwood with your master.
Semper Fi Bruno!
Tomorrow marks a day of rememberance for combat veterans from every war…it is the one day we allow the death and destruction we experienced as young men to creep back and fill our minds as we remember our fallen comrades!
For me it was Viet Nam; for my neighbor up the street it is Korea; for our children it is Iraq and Afghanistan; for the dwindling few at the American Legion it is Normandy and Iwo Jima.
For each the pain can be immense, the guilt overwhelming, and the sacrifice disabling! Yet we survived, carry out our daily lives going about our business with little notice by those around us of who we are, or were at one time!
We do not ask to be honored but seek only for people to take this one day and remember with us the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen heroes who gave so much to this great nation!
Take but a brief moment tomorrow, bow your head, and thank God for the men and women who gave their lives so freedom can live in this wonderful country we call home!
Semper Fi Chesty…wherever you may be!
BIG T = AMEN, brother! Well said, bravo zulu and back attcha with the Semper Fi, too — ONE MORE TIME!
Chris Rowe 2:14 pm
Your ronkayela letter reads in part “I don’t know the answers to why we haven’t figured a way to not have wars. But with these hard times world wide,I think that the international situation is only going to get worse.”
Maybe this will help. Human beings are imperfect, Yes, we are. We fight with each
other because we think we know the best answer and we will fight to prove it. Voila! WAR
Someimes we win and sometimes we lose and sometimes we have not proven anything except we want what we want when we want it.
By Anonymous on May 25, 2009 2:02 PM
Well,
I was thinking about the day and the people that I know that have served their country – whether in the military, the Peace Corps, as a teacher, or as any other civil servant.
My response to you – there are some very good people that I have met in this world that want what is better for everyone – not:
“Someimes we win and sometimes we lose and sometimes we have not proven anything except we want what we want when we want it.”
I guess this is as good of time as any to say this:
“Do a good turn daily” “Duty to God and Country”
and “All we are saying is give peace a chance”.
Chris, as a Girl Scout Leader and as a Den Mother, I hear what you are saying. We are to leave this place BETTER than we found it.
“Do a good turn daily” “Duty to God and Country”
and “All we are saying is give peace a chance”.
Amen
ANON – Girl Scout leader and Den Mother.. KEEP THE FAITH, LADY! REMEMBER, TOO = “NO ONE HATES WAR MORE THAN WARRIORS”!!! It’s true!!!