2nd Lt. JP Blecksmith (Sept 16, 1980- Nov 11, 2004)
JP Blecksmith was shot and killed by a sniper's bullet during the second battle of Fallujah in 2004...
The rifle detail of the 5th Marine Battalion during the funeral for US Marine 2nd Lt. James Patrick "JP" Blecksmith. (Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)
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And one final note:
US Marine Capt. Prescott Wilson hands JP Blecksmith’s girlfriend Emily Tait a flag. (Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)
Hat tip for 2nd Lt. JP Blecksmith tribute: Hugh Hewitt
The rifle detail of the 5th Marine Battalion during the funeral for US Marine 2nd Lt. James Patrick "JP" Blecksmith. (Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)The Marines do it right when it comes to honoring the fallen. They do it so right that you can get swept up in the ceremony and feel as though you’re watching a parade. The funeral took place at the Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel—the church where the most celebrated of San Marino’s favorite sons, General George S. Patton, had been baptized as a baby. As the flag-draped casket was carried out of the sanctuary and into the California sun, a long, silent line of almost 2,000 people followed. There were marines and midshipmen and local firefighters in uniform. There was a 21-gun salute. Four World War II fighter planes swooped toward the cemetery in the “missing man” formation—just as they passed over the funeral, the fourth plane symbolically split from the quartet and veered into the sky. A bagpiper played a Scottish dirge. One of JP’s old friends would later observe that the day, in all of its glory and pomp, made him think of Princess Diana’s wedding.
As Public support for the war in Iraq wavers, it’s easy to forget that people like JP Blecksmith even exist. The American military is so predominantly blue-collar that we tend to assume that the sons and daughters of the rich never voluntarily die in warfare anymore.
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And one final note:
The church's rector, the Rev. Canon Denis O'Pray, cautioned the mourners against feeling that Blecksmith's death, in a war that critics argue was unnecessary and waged under false premises, was in vain.
One impulse among the grief-stricken, O'Pray said, might be "to condemn the war, to say that J.P. should never have been put in harm's way.'
"He didn't feel that way - why should we?' O'Pray said.
Blecksmith believed wholeheartedly that the American military was in Iraq to spread freedom and democracy and was optimistic that those goals would soon be achieved, friends and family said.
US Marine Capt. Prescott Wilson hands JP Blecksmith’s girlfriend Emily Tait a flag. (Staff Photo Keith Birmingham)Hat tip for 2nd Lt. JP Blecksmith tribute: Hugh Hewitt
Labels: 2nd Lt. JP Blecksmith, fallen/wounded hero, Marines
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 11/13/2007 12:06:00 AM
11 Comments:
Semper Fi to the Marines and God Bless Lt. Blecksmith and his family. An American hero!
I thank God for patriots like this, and for the families who make so many sacrifices.
We didn't begin the war under false pretenses either. Sadaam Hussein lied about the WMD's because he wanted Iran to believe he had them. How is it that so many people believe that is Bush's fault? Even Sadaam's Generals didn't know he was lying, according to what I've heard on Fox News.
Perhaps I should clarify that a bit. Saddam hemmed and hawed and said he didn't have them but at the same time made us suspect he did have them because he wanted Iran to believe he had them. It was rather stupid of the nitwit, wasn't it? His problem was that we believed him and now he doesn't have any problems any more. At least not on this planet!
That's a touching post, Word. Thank you. So many stories need to be written on so many American military heroes.
We, the Good, honor those now and forever who fight on behalf of our sovereign country.
BZ
According to what you heard on Fox News? Don't trust their lies...
We did begin the war under false pretenses and we should have never gone in there. It created one big mess and cost the lives of many young American heroes.
Bush and his policies were the worst thing that ever happened to this country. Iraq was NEVER a threat to American freedom.
He didn't deserve to die for the Washington politicians and their oil war.
RIP J.P. Blecksmith and God Bless the U.S.A.
According to what you heard on Fox News?
You're really raw around here aren't you? How often do I cite FOX news on this blog? Do some research before you walk in my front door, open your cakehole, and snivel your political idiocy before you've done some fact-gathering about just what kind of a wingnut I am.
Don't trust their lies...
Because CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NYTimes, etc. are so much more credible, right?
We did begin the war under false pretenses and we should have never gone in there. It created one big mess and cost the lives of many young American heroes.
Please, please, please, tell me what those false pretenses were. You're 8 years late, commenting on a 2 year old post that wasn't about what led us to conclude our war with Saddam (which never ended).
Anyone who talks of "false pretenses" is clueless as to what the justifications that were laid out, were.
Bush and his policies were the worst thing that ever happened to this country.
Absolute BS. The only problem with Bush was he wasn't further right of center when it came to illegal immigration and controlling spending.
Iraq was NEVER a threat to American freedom.
You seriously misunderstand what the problem was in regards to the Iraq threat. Please do some further research. You can even check through the categories on this blog, or go to Flopping Aces, where I post, and look up the archives for posts dealing with this topic.
He didn't deserve to die for the Washington politicians and their oil war.
He didn't. He died in service of his country and for you and me.
You're not really honoring Blecksmith at all, but frothing your anti-war liberal BDS-laden politics:
"He didn't feel that way - why should we?' O'Pray said.
Blecksmith believed wholeheartedly that the American military was in Iraq to spread freedom and democracy and was optimistic that those goals would soon be achieved, friends and family said.
At this point, there's no reason to keep sporting the bumperstickers "Bring them home now", "out of Iraq", etc. You're 6 years too late, junior.
"You're really raw around here aren't you? How often do I cite FOX news on this blog? Do some research before you walk in my front door, open your cakehole, and snivel your political idiocy before you've done some fact-gathering about just what kind of a wingnut I am."
I really don't care what kind of "nut" you are, or about speaking my views "in your front door". You let people post on your blog, this is what you get.
Please, please, please, tell me what those false pretenses were. You're 8 years late, commenting on a 2 year old post that wasn't about what led us to conclude our war with Saddam (which never ended).
How about WMDs you fool? When every U.N. inspection said that they weren't there! And they weren't! What about the fact that the U.N. and most of the rest of the world did not support this war? That makes it a war begun under false pretenses and misleading information.
And I'm not 8 years late; I've been saying this all along, just not on YOUR BLOG! And I'm commenting on a 2 year old post because a Blecksmith link led me to it.
You seriously misunderstand what the problem was in regards to the Iraq threat. Please do some further research. You can even check through the categories on this blog, or go to Flopping Aces, where I post, and look up the archives for posts dealing with this topic.
I've done plenty of research, and I don't need any misinformation from your blogs.
At this point, there's no reason to keep sporting the bumperstickers "Bring them home now", "out of Iraq", etc. You're 6 years too late, junior.
I will NEVER stop my protest of this war, whether it is a bumper sticker or an internet post. And as I said, I'm not too late, I've just never posted here before...
I know that this blog was not about what led us to war, but there was so much misinformation in the comments that I had to say something about why we lost another young American life.
Oh, yawn.
Please click on the two links on those posts and read the comments sections (especially my responses).
How about WMDs you fool? When every U.N. inspection said that they weren't there! And they weren't! What about the fact that the U.N. and most of the rest of the world did not support this war? That makes it a war begun under false pretenses and misleading information.
As I elaborate in those links I'm sure you clicked onto, the case for war was more than about wmd stockpiles, but also intent and capabilities, as well as about 7 other justifications cited. The legality happens under UNSCR 678. There were no false pretenses, as every intell agency in the world had the majority opinion that Saddam did pose a wmd threat. Saddam himself perpetuated that belief, and the burden of proof was upon him. Not the U.S. Not the UN, as per the cease-fire agreement (not a peace treaty- we were technically still at war, and Saddam never felt otherwise).
UNSCOM and UNMOVIC were not meant to be weapons hunters but weapons inspectors. Even Scott Ritter would tell you Saddam played cat-and-mouse games with them. And no, there was no consensus UN inspection opinion about wmd. Read Ray Robison. Read Butler. Hans Blix' own Unresolved Disarmament Issues supports the case that Saddam posed a danger.
France, Germany, and Russia and China do not compose "the rest of the world". And look to their selfish self-interest for having opposed any idea of deposing Saddam, as Saddam owed them billions in contract deals.
I really don't care what kind of "nut" you are, or about speaking my views "in your front door".
Obviously you do, or you wouldn't have devoted your valuable time to commenting.
Thanks for caring!
You let people post on your blog, this is what you get.
Lol. I don't mind debating the topic. Just if it's on topic (and not on an old post devoted to honoring a fallen hero).
You can track mud through my blog. Just keep in mind it's my blog and I can close comments sections off or delete them as I see fit.
If you want to debate the wmd/Iraq war issue, why not leave a comment on the link I provided? Or if you wish to set the record straight, enter the debate going on in the Flopping Aces thread, where you will have a greater impact and your voice will be seen by more viewers. That thread's only less than a week old.
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