By Debbie Schlussel

Earlier today, in my Memorial Day tribute, I talked about American soldier, Michigan National Guardsman Sgt. Duane Dreasky, one of the many military men and women who gave their lives in serving this country.   I meant to post the comments of his family and friends left on this site in recent years, but they deserve a separate post.

Natl Guard Staff Sgt. Duane Dreasky is Buried in Arlington Natl. Cemetery

To remind you, Dreasky volunteered to go to Iraq, even though–after a year serving at Guantanamo Bay–he was assigned to stay here in comfort as a recruiter. He died in 2006, after a valiant 8-month fight to survive wounds from a terrorist attack near Habbaniyah, Iraq. The heroic Dreasky suffered burns over 75% of his body, but still tried to salute President Bush when he visited his bedside. (I’ve written about him here, here here, here, here, and here).

Here are four very touching, must-read comments posted by those who knew him best–family, friends, and fellow soldiers who served with him. I think they exemplify the feelings of so many family members and friends of so many thousands of fallen soldiers whose lives were taken from them in fighting the enemy and serving America:

My Uncle was a true American Hero. I loved every thing he did for me and my cousin Tatianna. But i have to say, he wasnt just an uncle, he was my father, and i miss him dearly. He taught me everything i needed to know about defending myself, and how to act like a lady.
He treated my aunt with the utmost respect, and never let harm come to his family. He was very respectful and loved life. I will miss him with all my heart, and hope god is looking after my dad!

Read the rest of this entry »

By Debbie Schlussel

My late father (Blessed Be His Memory)–a proud U.S. Army veteran who served during Vietnam–taught me from a young age, appreciation for our military who served our country with pride and courage.  He was always proud of our American troops and instilled in me that lifelong appreciation of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that his family, my family, could be free, after having escaped the anti-Semitism of Europe, where they were mostly wiped out by the Nazis and the preceding pogroms.

U.S. Army Sgt. Chris Moore @ the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Photo by H. Darr Beiser/USA Today)

Natl Guard Staff Sgt. Duane Dreasky is Buried in Arlington Natl. Cemetery

It’s trite but true: Today is a day that’s much more than hot dogs and picnics. It’s far more important. It’s about remembering those who gave their lives (and limbs) so that we could be and remain–to this day–free. Freedom isn’t free. For or against the war? Either way, they gave their lives so that you could travel, gather, associate, and speak your mind.

They’re young men like Marine Cpl. Jacob Tubett, married just two years and so young–murdered by the Taliban at age 21 on February 13th of this year. His widow, Crystal, is only 20. They’re great Americans, like Michigan National Guardsman Sgt. Duane Dreasky (my posts about him here, here here, here, here, and here), who volunteered to go to Iraq, even though–after a year serving at Guantanamo Bay–he was assigned to stay here in comfort as a recruiter. He died in 2006, after a valiant 8-month fight to survive wounds from a terrorist attack near Habbaniyah, Iraq. The heroic Dreasky suffered burns over 75% of his body, but still tried to salute President Bush when he visited his bedside.

Many Americans don’t think often, if at all, about our brave troops, especially the ones we remember today who made the ultimate sacrifice. You might be on a plane, reading the paper or a magazine, and not know or appreciate that one of our first-class American Heroes is riding beneath you . . .

But despite the fact that far too many Americans care more about Kardashians than your sacrifices for our country, a good nucleus of righteous American people care about you, our soldiers, our fighting men and women, whose lives were taken from them so we could still live free.

To all of our American soldiers, living and dead, we salute you, we pray for you, we appreciate you, and we thank you for fighting for our freedom and the continued existence of our beloved country. To those for whom Memorial Day is meant, thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice for us, for our freedom. Rest in Peace.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Graves of Some of Our Fallen Heroes at Arlington National Cemetery

Graves of American Soldiers Who Gave Their Lives in WII @ Normandy

***

Today, among the many we mourn, I include my cousin, the late Col. Albert H. Schlussel of the U.S. Air Force, who served in WWII and Korea and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Zichrono LiVrachah [Blessed Be His Memory].

By Debbie Schlussel

As you may know, anti-Israel, pro-HAMAS activists from primarily Europe and the U.S. chartered Turkish ships in a stunt known as the “Gaza Flotilla.”  They did this because they intended to provoke Israel and send who knows what kind of supplies to HAMAS terrorists in Gaza.  These “non-violent peace activists” attacked Israeli soldiers with axes, knives, iron pipes, and at least one gun stolen from an Israeli soldier.  And they–the Israeli soldiers–were fired upon with live ammunition, as pistols were found on at least two “peace activists,” according to IMRA.  The Israeli soldiers had to defend themselves and fought back against these terrorists.  And now there are injuries and deaths on both sides.  That’s what happens when there’s war.  People die.  And make no mistake, this is war.  These were no peace activists.  They are terrorists for HAMAS pretending to be peace activists.  There’s a reason the HAMAS Naval Police (it feels odd calling these Islamic terrorists by any such formal respectable name, as such betrays and whitewashes the truth) were accompanying their terrorist pals from the West in their flotilla.

HAMAS Naval Police Exercised Protecting Terrorist Flotilla

Activists on the ship who organized the flotilla are, as Judy Lash Balint points out, from ISM–the International Solidarity Movement–a pro-HAMAS group I exposed when it first surfaced in 2002 and its leader, Adam Shapiro, and his lawyer brother threatened me, then threatened to sue me for exposing him as non-peaceful and espousing violence.  He even stalked me at a speech I gave at the University of Michigan in opposition to the Divestment Conference against Israel that he sponsored, which featured convicted Islamic terrorist Sami Al-Arian as the keynote speaker.  Adam Shapiro is married to Christian Arab Huwaida Arraf, a water-carrier for Muslims who also leads ISM, who is from the Detroit area.  The proud couple helped hide various homicide bombers who blew up innocent Israelis, including the men who blew up Mike’s Bar in Tel Aviv.  That ain’t peace.  Just pieces.  And, again, they lead the flotilla effort.

The JIDF alerts us to this report on this well-planned lynching of Israeli soldiers, from The Jerusalem Post:

Participants on the flotilla were recorded shouting “Khaybar Khaybar ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad saya’ud,” which means “Jews, remember Khyabar, the army of Mohammed is returning.” This cry relates to an event in the seventh century when Muslims massacred and expelled Jews from the town of Khaybar, in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

Yes, that’s a call for the genocide of the Jewish people. Sound “peaceful” to you?

And then, there’s Turkey.  The ships, as I noted, were Turkish.  And that’s no accident.  For years, Turks have been “treated” to government-sponsored anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-Israel movies and television programs titled, “Kurtlar Vadisi,” which means Valley of the Wolves.  I wrote about “Kurtlar Vadisi-Irak,” several years ago, when it debuted as an anti-American, anti-Semitic movie, defaming American soldiers and Jews as bloodthirsty killers and organ-harvesters of Muslims in Iraq.  It continues with similar stories, different settings.  The villains are always Jews, Israelis, Americans, Westerners.  The Muslims are, of course, always the victims.  It seems the shoulder chip is the Islamic world’s fave accessory because blood libel propaganda like “Kurtlar Vadisi” encourages them to lug it around with price.

Several months ago, the program glorified Turks who break into the Israeli embassy and kill several Jewish politicians (who preposterously kidnapped a woman and a baby), with the Jews’ blood spattered all over the Israeli flag on the Jewish Star.  And now, life imitates art as overnight, the barbarian Turkish Muslims tried to storm the Israeli Embassy in Istanbul (while yelling their allahu war cry) and do what they’ve been taught by their government on “Kurtlar Vadisi-Filistin [Palestine].”  Watch the two videos and you’ll see what I mean. Yes, our “Western” “ally” Turkey funds this crap (which would make the Nazis and Leni Riefenstahl blush) and encourages the violence.

As we observe Memorial Day and remember our fallen troops who gave their lives so we could live free, let’s also express solidarity with those who are fighting the Islamic terrorists who invade and threaten their soil every day.  They are fighting the fight we now fight abroad, but will ultimately fight domestically, just like Israel, because we did nothing to stop Islamic domination from creeping onto American shores.  Today, Turkey and Israel, today, Times Square and the Underwear Bomber.  Yes, we are already fighting this domestically.  And it will only get worse.  Israel’s fight is indeed our fight.  Don’t ever forget it.

By Debbie Schlussel

You might have watched or currently be watching PBS’ National Memorial Day Concert (which is on tonight).  But, as I’ve noted previously, only for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July/Independence Day is PBS a/k/a “Palestinian Broadcasting Service” patriotic.  Those are the only two days the far-left network of aging-hippie/cat-lady programming cares about our troops.  It’s no coincidence that PBS also stands for Patriotism BS, which is what was telecast tonight on that network.

The other 363 days of the year, the network supported by your tax dollars is attacking America left and right and showing “Point of View” and “Independent Lens” shows filled with hatred of America and our troops and propaganda in favor of Islamic terrorists and their home nations.

Gary Sinise seems like a nice guy, as does Joe Montegna–the two of them host the show.  But they tolerate and help this kind of programming 24/7 the rest of year.  And by doing so, they enable it.  This doesn’t help our troops one bit.  It may feel nice and patriotic to listen to the bands on Washington’s Mall, where the concerts take place.  But, really, it’s a veneer of patriotism that barely covers PBS’ hatred of America.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Debbie Schlussel

On Friday, when Gary Coleman passed away, I wrote that I always felt bad for him, that he never caught a break, that I hope he has the peace in death that he never had in life.  These videos from ABC News back that up.  The first one is from 11 years ago, in 1999, and, sadly, nothing changed in the years since.  The next is from Friday Night’s “Nightline,” which picks up where the other video left off, equally tragic.  Watch ’em both, as I think you’ll find they tell the real story. This guy was fleeced and his life was raped from beginning to end by those who were entrusted to protect him. Even so, he had the best possible attitude about it all.

Gary Coleman, Rest In Peace

By Debbie Schlussel

Sometimes, it takes Jimmy Kimmel to get stuff right.  He definitely gets the real Abu Dhabi right in his revamped “Sex & the City 2” trailer (although he needs to eliminate the drinks, too).  And on Jesse James, Sandra Bullock’s disgraced cheating Nazi-saluting, SS garb-encrusted hubby, well, I think he probably gets that one right, too.

By Debbie Schlussel

Should we be deporting men whom we know have direct contact with top Al-Qaeda officials?  Should we deport this many people who are “of national security interest”?

Shukran [Thank You], America, For Your Hospitality; allah Will Destroy You

I guess, since we lose so many criminal cases against them, perhaps.  But it seems ridiculous.  But that’s where we’re at. These people would probably be turned loose into the great American abyss if they were not deported. And they’d probably be granted citizenship. If we were in a country that was truly interested in defeating Islamic terrorism (and we aren’t), we’d beat the crap out of each of these people and get them to talk.  Sadly, we are in the United States of the ACLU, Obama, and eight years of Bush blowing a mandate  he had to do to actually do something about this stuff.

So, instead, we let these cretins go to freedom, on a private plane no less.

U.S. immigration officials say four men of “national security interest” are among 31 people deported from the U.S. recently. Most were flown to the Middle East.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Debbie Schlussel

I always felt sorry for Gary Coleman, who died today, at age 42, from a brain hemorrhage. Does he deserve the publicity he’s now getting in death that he got in life and which true American heroes like John Finn will never get? No. But, sadly, this is America, where pop culture is king, and American valor is . . . who cares?

Coleman could never get away from his short height (induced by health conditions) or childhood fame and struggled to make a living because his finances were raped by selfish parents, agents, and advisors.  I remember when he was harassed by the press and fans, while he was trying to make a living as a security guard and quickly lost his job.  Yes, he punched some fans.  But he caught no breaks. And to make ends meet, he had to make a series of embarrassing appearances with bimbos and others on TV and elsewhere, including dumb “exclusives” on “Entertainment Tonight.” Sad.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Debbie Schlussel

Not much to write home about at the movies, this Memorial Day weekend.

*  “Sex and the City 2“: Read my complete review on this awful movie.  Four aging annoying women in expensive, ugly clothes go to a gay wedding, then hang out in Abu Dhabi and swoon over the faux-glamor and even more phony “exoticism” of Muslim Arabs, all while bitching, moaning, whining, and uttering vile, stupid sex one liners and puns.  Again, read my full review column.

THREE MARXES

*  “Prince of Persia:  The Sands of Time“:  Although there was nothing objectionable about this movie and it has a decent message, it was just boring.  So much action, so much swashbuckling, and yet so slow and unexciting.  And it’s based on a video game, which should tell you something (the video game-based movies usually stink).

Read the rest of this entry »

By Debbie Schlussel

It’s coincidence and sadness that just before the day on which America remembers its fallen heroes on Monday’s Memorial Day, retired Navy Lieutenant John Finn passed away.

Finn was the oldest living World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor and was 100 when he died yesterday.  He earned this highest U.S. military honor for his uncommon valor, courage, and heroism at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on December 7, 1941.  Even though he had head wounds and other serious injuries from the Japanese attack, he continuously fired a machine gun from an exposed position for two hours, as gullets and bombs hit around him on the base at Kaneohe Bay in Oahu.

He was 100 years old.

More:

Although he was a guest of honor at numerous gatherings of veterans and Medal of Honor recipients — including at the White House, where he was greeted by President Obama — Finn routinely declined to accept the accolade of hero.

Read the rest of this entry »