BTW, thanks for mentioning Gordon and Shughart — true examples of bravery and selfless sacrifice. I hadn’t even thought of them in the context of this thread, but yeah, genuine heroes. Unfortunately, I don’t even have your level of optimism about my generation remembering them. Most are probably vaguely familiar (from the movie, sadly), but, much like Thompson walking out into the middle of the massace and ordering a superior officer to stand down, the ‘detail’ of them repeatedly demanding to essentially be sent to their deaths is what truly shows their courage and dedication to their fellow man.

I saw that, Nikki, and this song has been stuck in my head ever since.

Actually, I won’t. I’ll take a couple of mood elevators and re-read the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001034.php

I honestly don’t know how those men ever walked … would have figured their brass balls would have weighted them down too much.

Thanks for the heads-up, Mikey.

Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

mikey

And that is why Swift is a hero.

and, right on.

Glad to see I’m not the only one who though of Hugh Thompson — and his crew mates, Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn — on reading this post. (This is somewhere I’ll agree with your dissing of my age group in the other thread — I have yet to meet someone else close to my age who has even heard the name Hugh Thompson.) Lt. Cmdr. Swift is exactly the kind of person I’m proud to see represent and defend this country. Clearly, he isn’t there for a flag, but for an ideal. I completely agree that a toast is in order. It’s been too long since I’ve seen something that really makes me proud of my country.

Kobie,

Not an American, but here’s another good example: Stanislav Petrov. Admittedly, the ideal was not murdering hundreds of millions of people to simply take as many down with you as possible, but that was a radical notion during the Cold War and he tanked his career to prevent World War III.

From an interview with Greta:

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you ever get dissed by your colleagues? I mean that this is part of the job of being the JAG Corps, you’re a naval officer, but do you get dissed for accepting this responsibility?

SWIFT: I haven’t been to date. I don’t know what people say when I’m not there. But what I do know is that the vast majority that I have talked to have supported — they’ve not always agreed, but they’ve supported the idea that there should be a zealous defense. The one that I remember most, though, is a friend of mine from the Naval Academy. I went back for my 20 year reunion. He’s a marine and he’s an outstanding marine and he’s been in many combat situations, and he took me aside and I thought, this might be the time. And instead, what he said to me was, you know, the rule of law, that’s what I’m out here fighting to preserve. Don’t you dare stop. And that’s enough for me.

Indeed, Mr. Swift, it is enough for us all. Thank you too…

mikey

We won a victory for the rule of law!

If we keep throwing in a win or two for every hundred or so losses we take, it’ll slow down the country’s rate of acceleration toward a truly totalitarian state – from a gallop to maybe a trot, or even a fast walk!

Sorry to snark on your celebration – the win really is a good thing.

I just don’t know if it will amount to much of anything in the long run.