Tag Archives: Military

Atheists Demand Removal of War Memorial with Hidden Ichthus

Update: The Boone County Commission voted to move and replace the memorial.

Can you see what atheists find offensive about this war memorial to fallen troops?

Behind the dedication plaque at the bottom of the stone is an ichthus.

And that’s why these atheists say it has to go.

The grounds of the Boone County Courthouse in Missouri are host to memorials to local citizens killed in action while fighting for their country. After a threat from atheists, one of those memorials may have to move. The memorial was raised in 1992 for two locals killed in Operation Desert Storm: Steven Farnen and Patrick Connor.  It recently came under attack by atheists, and the County Commission is considering a proposal to move it to a cemetery — away from the courthouse grounds, and away from the memorials for all the other fallen citizens:

The focus of the proposal, and the yearlong controversy surrounding the memorial, was an ichthus, or “Jesus fish,” the commission decided to cover last June rather than face possible legal action from a Washington, D.C.-based organization.

Neither of the families wants the memorial moved, and both even agreed Read more

Chaplains Support Troops Affected by Chattanooga Shootings

In a little-reported story, US military chaplains from across the country mobilized to try to serve and bring peace to service members assigned to the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, where five troops were killed last month:

“We are here because we want to be here for the Sailors and Marines,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Hicks, a Navy chaplain from Charleston, South Carolina.”

Lt. Joel DeGraeve, Navy chaplain from Columbus, Ohio: “To reach out to each other and build each other up when we’re having life struggles is Read more

Tarawa Marines Repatriated 70 Years Later

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (repeated at the Stars and Stripes) covered the repatriation of the remains of 36 US Marines from Tarawa’s Betio Island, where they fell in battle more than 70 years ago:

History Flight Inc., a Florida nonprofit that has searched Tarawa for more than five years, announced in June its discovery of a burial trench on Tarawa’s Betio Island, a sandy grave of at least 36 Marines killed Nov. 20-23, 1943…

The flag-draped caskets Read more

Military General Cautioned to Avoid Attending Chapel

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein and his acolytes within the MRFF have long claimed that military officers should not be allowed to even introduce themselves as Christians, claiming that if subordinates had the slightest inkling the officers had religious beliefs, they could “coerce” their subordinates into the faith.

The claim is ridiculous on several levels, not the least of which is the MRFF’s contention that all military subordinates are sycophants.

Further, as noted in Christian Fighter Pilot is not an Oxymoron, the lengths to which a superior would have to go to “hide” his religious faith to meet Weinstein’s demands would be extreme:  Read more

Navy Conducts Blessing of the Pilot Wings

The US Navy conducts an annual “blessing of the fleet,” a tradition intended to “safeguard crews and ships” from the hazards of the oceans through a religious blessing.

It turns out the Navy also conducts a “blessing of the wings” as part of new Naval Aviators’ winging ceremonies. An official Navy article recounts that the chapel at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi held its first services on the infamous December 7, 1941, and as the new aviators went off to war, chaplains began “blessing” their wings:

According to the chaplains, during World War II, many Catholic chaplains began blessing the wings of Catholic aviators. This tradition continued throughout the years and eventually became a “Blessing of the Wings” service in chapels around the world.

Eventually the service included Read more

Muslim Soldier Celebrates Ramadan at Guantanamo

The Miami Herald recently published a somewhat censored report of “Sgt 1st Class A,” an unidentified female California National Guard Soldier and Muslim. She was on her first deployment in her 20-year career, and the article briefly described her past and how she celebrated Ramadan.

Islam, she says, makes her a better soldier, “thoughtful, compassionate, understanding — all those things you need as a leader. That’s where I pull my strength from.”

In an interesting twist, the article says Read more

Mikey Weinstein Attacks Air Force for Gospel Explosion

On July 23rd, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF published a blog claiming Cannon Air Force Base was “hammer[ing] helpless subordinates” with the Christian Gospel. At issue was a chapel-sponsored concert/event called the “Gospel Explosion” with Wess Morgan. Weinstein specifically named two SNCOs in his vituperative attack, saying [Weinstein emphasis original]

USAF Master Sergeant Keith L. Lucas e-mailed a flyer to his subordinates promoting an on-base, sectarian religious proselytizing event called “Gospel Explosion” and explicitly “requested” (in other words, ORDERED in military chain-of command parlance) that they “please post everywhere and spread the word…thanks!!”

Master Sergeant Marvin Jimerson Jr. even instruct[ed] all 27th SOW First Sergeants on base to “Please disseminate within your units.”

This “scandal” is notable for a few reasons.

First, Weinstein includes a paranthetical ‘shout out’ to the wing commander, named as Col Benjamin Maitre (and to whom former Captain Weinstein refers as “sport”). This likely means Read more

Air Force PJ on God-gifted Service

From an Air Force article entitled “Guided by faith, driven by a calling to serve,” about retiring SMSgt Doug Widener, Air Force pararescueman:

From the mountains of Afghanistan, to the mountains of Alaska, the meaning of his life was measured in his work – work that he felt was his purpose in life, guided always by his faith in the Lord.

“In my experience, God gave me these abilities,” he said somberly. “I’ve Read more

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