Sarah Palin: Remembering D-Day

Sixty-six years ago, today June 6, 1944, the Allies stormed the beach at Normandy to free Europe from Axis control. Today, Gov. Palin wrote about the Anniversary in a brief Facebook Note, including an excerpt of speech from President Reagan who spoke at the 40th anniversary of D-Day.

Today, on the 66th Anniversary of D-Day, let’s remember the courage and sacrifice of our Greatest Generation whose actions helped liberate a continent. I’d like to share with you excerpts from President Reagan’s beautiful speech on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day honoring the Rangers who took the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc:

“Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them here. These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender’s poem. You are men who in your “lives fought for life and left the vivid air singed with your honor.”....

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief. It was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.” - Ronald Reagan

May we never forget the sacrifices made for liberty.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin#!/notes/sarah-palin/remembering-d-day/396451853434

Ronald Reagan: These Are The Boys Of Point-du-Hoc, A D-Day Remembrance

I came across this wonderfully produced video several years back. Wyatt McIntyre, the creator, says it was his first attempt at editing. All I can say is he captured the very essence of the events surrounding the greatest amphibious assault in human history, and the turning point of WWII. The beginning of the end.

The speech, delivered as only Ronald Reagan could, was given on June 6, 1984, the 40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. President Reagan was standing at Point du Hoc with the surviving Rangers who defied certain death and scaled those cliffs, defeating the Germans.

It's rather bittersweet, that as we remember this great triumph of good over evil, that we must also remember that we lost Ronald Reagan on June 5, 2004. Listening to this great speech, we remember why he is so missed.


There will no doubt be any number of WWII flicks on television honoring those who fought on this day in history, but if you don't watch any other movie,  watch Darryl F. Zanuck's masterpiece, The Longest Day. This is a big movie, told from both the Allied and German point of view. It has an all star cast, and is one of the best WWII movies ever made.

As you go through your day, remember these great heroes who fought on the beaches of Normandy. Many died so that we remain free today. It's easy to sit back and take it all for granted, but on this day, the 6th of June, 1944, the entire world was in peril, and victory was still a long way away, and not at all certain. We own these men everything. We must never let their memory fade. 

This really doesn't have anything to do with D-Day, but it is so moving, nonetheless. Everyone knows the Star Spangled Banner, but how many know the part we sing is only the first of  four verses?

This Marine knew, and simply stunned the audience at a recent Tea Party event:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Here's the entire poem, as written by Francis Scott Key:

First Verse

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Second Verse

On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Third Verse

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Fourth Verse

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! 

Video and verse courtesy of The Right Scoop. 

My Phenomenal Alaska Trip: Part One: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Many of my regular readers may be wondering why I have not been blogging in recent days. For the past year, I have been planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska, and I am very excited to write that I am typing this post from a hotel room in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska. My sister, Krisha, and Kristina Lazzaro, a fellow organizer for the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee, and I have had an amazing trip so far. We have been going non-stop since arriving in town. My good friend Eddie Burke, who's running for Alaska's lieutenant governor, and his amazing wife, Linda, were there to meet us at the airport, which was so sweet of them. After meeting us, they took us to the trendy Anchorage restaurant The Brewhouse where I had a great halibut dinner. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone who is looking to experience true, Alaskan flair.

There are so many memories that I have already made, and I cannot wait to experience more great sights. We have gotten together with so many great people and had a lot of fun and, oh yes, crazy experiences. Everything from spending the day going to the local flea market, souvenir shopping and visiting the world's largest chocolate fountain with great friend Tracey Porrecca to hanging out with Alaska State House Candidate Jason Cline on his birthday. The people here are real people, and I could totally see myself living here.

One of my favorite days so far was spent attending some Memorial Day Veteran events. I have been privileged to assist Eddie Burke in his campaign for lieutenant governor. As the only veteran in the race for lieutenant governor, Eddie knows firsthand what our military men and women experience when they leave their homes and families in order to keep us safe. The veteran events were very special and personal to him for several reasons. Our military men and women need to be thanked everyday, not just a couple of times a year. The events I attended yesterday in Anchorage and the valley reiterated just how important it is that we support our military and do everything in our power to support them. I had the privilege of speaking to many members in the crowd as well as some of the speakers, including Congressman Don Young, Senator Mark Begich, Senator Lisa Murkowski, as well as a couple other state leaders. All of these individuals were very friendly and I enjoyed speaking with them. I have photos that I will be posting soon.

I also finally got the chance to meet Rishi. Many of you may know Rishi as my favorite liberal. Politics aside, he is a pretty cool and let's just say unique guy, even if he likes to tease me and call me a "sorority girl" - Ha ha. That is not the only liberal I had the chance to meet. Right after I wrapped up talking to Senator Lisa Murkowski, I was approached by blogger Linda Kellen-Biegal. You may all know her as "Celtic Diva." At first, I did not recognize her, but she knew exactly who I was and even pronounced my name right. I think she was a little shocked that I reached out my hand to shake hers, but she agreed. Let's just say we had an interesting, yet very civil conversation. I even asked to have my photo taken with her, and she agreed. Click here to read her account of our meeting each other face-to-face for the very first time.

Our final Memorial Day event out in the Valley was a very memorable stop for me. As my sister took photographs of the event, Eddie introduced me to another Lieutenant Governor Candidate, a guy we palinistas all know very well: Jay Ramras. I also saw the other candidate in the running, Mead Treadwell, in attendance. I also got the chance to speak with Joe Miller, who is running for the Senate against Lisa Murkowski. He and his wife, Kathleen are great people. This was a great event, and I can definitely see why so many individuals love living in the great state of Alaska!

I have been to quite a few beautiful places, but after arriving at my latest stop in Wasilla, I do not think there is a state that is more beautiful than Alaska the last frontier. There is just something very special about its majestic beauty that seems to continually call my name. After staying in the Anchorage for the past four days, my sister, Kristina Lazzaro and I just arrived at a beautiful, undisclosed part of Wasilla. The place we are staying at is phenomenal and top notch. Not only is this place peaceful, but the people are so friendly and welcoming. I wrote this portion of my blog post while sitting outside in daylight, and it was just after 12 a.m. Since it does not get truly dark for another hour or so, I thought I would come down and sit by the lake and continue this blog post, which I am finally posting today. As I listen to the sounds of the birds and the jumping of the fish, I am reminded just how amazingly good God has been to me. I prayed long and hard about this trip, and I knew that if God wanted me to travel to Alaska, he would open the door. I have already experienced so many great and wonderful memories, and I know I have many more great memories to come. Eddie and Linda Burke and their amazing family (great friends), Tracey Porreca (our wonderful friend, Alaskan mom and tour guide), J and Bev Perdew (who took us on an amazing drive around Palmer and Wasilla), Jason Cline and Danny McDonald (our crazy, fun guys) have been so welcoming, and it has been so fun to experience their Alaska. It was also real special to go over to Chuck and Sally Heath's house last night for desert and coffee. Chuck is such a cool guy and even gave us the whole tour of the house. It is so amazing and has an awesome museum feel to it. It is because of all of these individuals that I have met the wonderful people I mentioned above. It is true when you hear how kind and welcoming the people of Alaska are. They are the real deal. I am signing off for now because Kristina, Krisha and I are getting ready to attend Eddie Burke's daughter, Ericka"s, wedding today in Anchorage. Stay tuned because I will be back again soon to blog and post lots of photos. And, oh by the way, for those of you who keep asking: Yes, I have seen Joe McGinniss' house, and I must write that Todd did a pretty good damn job constructing that fence!!! Way to go, Todd!!!

(Make sure to spread the word and follow my blog Conservative Girl with a Voice as well as my twitter account @rachellefriberg for my Alaska-trip shenanigans.)

Sarah Palin: Coach Wooden’s Parquet Success – a Blueprint for Life

Coach John Wooden
October 14, 1910 - June 4, 2010

Coach John Wooden, irreplaceable in American life. God bless your soul. You shall be missed dearly, and we shall remember your lessons.

- Sarah Palin

Tweeted Friday, June 4, 2010 at 2226 EDT

---

On May 26, 2010, "[f]ormer UCLA basketball coach and Hall of Famer John Wooden [was] hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center" for dehydration. Coach Wooden is most well-known for his Pyramid of Success, an autographed copy of which is cherished possession of Gov. Palin's. Indeed, that Pyramid may be the bedrock of Gov. Palin's Transformational Leadership skills. Both Gov. Palin and her husband Todd revere Coach Wooden as a hero, and today June 10, 2010, Gov. Palin expressed her get well wishes in a Facebook Note posted 11:14 EDT.

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” - Coach John Wooden

Ever since we were kids, Todd and I have looked at Coach John Wooden as a true hero. His quotes plastered our bulletin boards, school notebooks, and locker doors. Realizing this mutual admiration of Coach Wooden when Todd and I first met about 30 years ago was a sure sign that we were on the same page.

From afar we have admired Coach’s wit and wisdom, we’ve absorbed his writings and the life lessons he’s taught from the basketball court. Coach’s “Pyramid of Success” is a blueprint that everyone in this country should tack within eyesight and try to follow daily. Coach teaches: “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters,” but I admit I fail that material possession lesson as I prize a favorite one that’s displayed in our living room – a genuine autographed copy of his Success Pyramid.

Feel better, Coach Wooden! You are God’s gift to those who recognize value in life lessons learned in the arena of competition. In the midst of all your success on the parquet you’ve reminded us what really matters. You remind us to be courageous and optimistic and prepared. Truly, you are a gift on this earth, and our world needs you to keep on giving!

Feel better. We love you. Thanks for teaching us: “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”

- Todd and Sarah Palin and our families, your biggest fans

“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” - Coach John Wooden

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=24718773587&start=10&hash=34d9414b0365b1e460511f13215ccb7d#!/note.php?note_id=395865318434

Palin: On the List of “Mama Grizzlies”: Cecile Bledsoe for AR

Governor Palin endorsed Cecile Bledsoe, who is running in Arkansas' Third Congressional District, via a brief Facebook Note posted today, June 3, 2010. Ms. Bledsoe is a Reagan Conservative.

Just had a great talk with Cecile Bledsoe (and talk about “boots on the ground” in her grassroots campaign, she answered her own campaign phone when I called). She’s an inspiring individual whom I’m happy to support.

Cecile is another Commonsense Conservative “mama grizzly” running for Congress this year. Her mission to protect our great country’s freedom is so commendable. Cecile is a pro-family, pro-2nd Amendment, fiscal conservative who will work hard for the people in Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District.

Please join me in supporting another member of the “pink elephant stampede” of Commonsense Constitutional Conservative women who will take this country back to our roots of limited government and fiscal responsibility. Please vote for Cecile on Tuesday, June 8th.

You can visit Cecile’s website here, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

- Sarah Palin

Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=24718773587#!/note.php?note_id=395697108434

CBS' Scott Conroy Interviews Me & Other Palin Supporters

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Scott Conroy, journalist for CBS and co-author of Sarah from Alaska, interviewed me and several Palin supporters and published his story today on CBSNews.com. His story relied mainly on interviews conducted with members of 1) Hillbuzz, the ardent Hillary Clinton and now Palin supporters and 2) Conservatives4Palin, for which I also write.

Given the fact that it's CBS, one should take note of how fair the overall piece is. It details the Governor's appeal to a diverse population of Americans and captures the ability she possesses to inspire them to action.

From the C4P family, he interviewed Nicole Coulter, Sapwolf, site co-founder Rebecca Mansour, who now works for Governor Palin, and yours truly.

The article is quite long, so I will give you an overview. I encourage you to click here to read Conroy's full piece.

Most importantly, there may be no other politician who retains the level of devotion that Palin enjoys among millions of Americans. They may be in the minority, but they are certainly not lacking in zeal.

"We would literally walk across hot broken glass for this woman," says Nicole Coulter (at left), a frequent contributor to the most prominent pro-Palin web site, Conservatives4Palin.com, which serves as an up-to-the-second source of news and analysis of all things Palin. "She represents something very powerful. It's deeper than politics. It's much, much deeper than politics. It's cultural. It's just this zeitgeist of raw emotion, kind of what our country is all about."

Of course, other national politicians attract passionate support, but with Palin's biggest fans, the devotion to the former Alaska governor resides on a deeply personal level that seems unique in American life.

"She's our family, and you protect your family; it's like the mafia," Coulter says. "She's just one of us, and when they insult her, they're insulting millions of us."

[...]

Thirty-nine-year-old seventh grade English teacher Adrienne Ross (at left) started her pro-Palin web site, MotivationTruth, soon after Election Day in 2008. In July of 2009, Ross left her home in Hudson, New York, for a month-long trip to Alaska. It was a Palin pilgrimage of sorts that doubled as a sightseeing trip.

"I was really drawn to go," says Ross, who is also a member of the Federal Election Commission-registered 2012 Draft Sarah Committee. "This might seem kind of strange, but I just felt to go. I felt like I was supposed to go."

Ross marched in the Fourth of July parade in Wasilla with Palin's parents and daughter Piper and was there at the picnic in Fairbanks when Palin handed over the state's reigns of power to incoming Gov. Sean Parnell.

[...]

"She is a big part of my life," Ross says. "I spend a lot of my time on Palin-centered things."

Ross and other prominent members of what might best be described as the "Sarah Palin community" reject the notion that they are blind followers in a political cult of personality. They are clearly sensitive to being painted with a label that they instead attribute to President Obama's biggest fans.

"I'm sure she's had some impact on it, but I wouldn't go as far to say she's changed my life, and I'm suddenly hearing music and the light from above is shining on me," says Josh Painter, who manages a Palin blog roll and edits Texas4Palin from his hometown of Bryan, Texas. "That's Barack Obama territory-he's 'The One.' Sarah Palin is just a woman we relate to."

Of all the pro-Palin blogs, Conservatives4Palin consistently has the biggest impact and reach. Its influence is evident in that it is the only online destination specifically devoted to supporting a potential 2012 candidate to make a recent list of the 100 most popular conservative web sites.

Most of Conservatives4Palin's contributors are not shy about their desire to see Palin run for president in 2012.

Palin herself long ago took notice of the site, giving it one of her patented shout-outs in her best selling book. She even scooped up two of its founding contributors last year and hired them to paid positions on her political staff.

"She's always said the best ideas don't come out of Washington, DC, and so there's no reason why she wouldn't follow that belief in choosing her staff," says Rebecca Mansour, one of the former Conservatives4Palin bloggers turned current Palin staffer.

[...]

Thomas Chanteloup, a 45-year-old consultant for a software company consultant who blogs under the moniker "Sapwolf" on Conservatives4Palin, vows that he will quit his job to take up temporary residence in Iowa next year on Palin's behalf.

"When she's criticized, it's like that person is showing unfair criticism or vitriol against my mother or daughter," says Chanteloup, who says he has seen Palin speak in person about a dozen times and has shook her hand on about six occasions. "I take it personally."

It certainly is true that Governor Palin's army is far-reaching, unapologetic, and relentless. With innumerable lies and attacks on her and the Palin family, her "loyal online defenders," as Scott Conroy coins us, are committed to being voices of truth and pillars of support upon which she can lean. And should she take the plunge into running for the presidency in 2012, she will certainly not be lacking people who will go to proverbial hell and back on her behalf.

IDF Videos Prove Palin Right on "Peace" Flotilla

Close-Up Footage of Mavi Marmara Passengers Attacking IDF Soldiers



Mavi Marmara Passengers Attack IDF Before Soldiers Board Ship



Weapons Found on the Flotilla Ship Mavi Marmara Used by Activists Against IDF Soldiers

On June 1, US for Palin ran Gov. Palin's Facebook Note about this Flotilla with a brief analysis. These videos - special thanks to Henry's Mom of Team Sarah and Smart Girl Politics for providing the lead - prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that these were no "peace activists" but rather low-grade weapons smugglers supporting Hamas terrorists.

The original Note and analysis is re-printed below.

Gov Palin's second Facebook Note of June 1, 2010 addressed purposeful distortion of the Israel Flotilla story by the mainstream media, specifically those outlets with leftist and/or anti-Israel leanings. Gov. Palin preceded her Note with a Tweet, urging her followers to read columns written by Charles Krauthammer, David Horowitz and others regarding the flotilla incident. US for Palin author Gary P. Jackson detailed how terrorist Bill Ayers and Obama's top campaign bundler Jodie Evans are activists involved with the flotilla group.

The Real Story about the Flotilla

The second paragraph of Gov. Palin's Note synopsizes the flotilla incident nicely.

As far too many in the media, and in various governments, rush to condemn Israel, we must put the recent events off Israel’s coast into the right perspective. This “relief” convoy was not about humanitarian aid, as the liberal mainstream media keeps reporting. The whole operation was designed to provoke Israel, not to provide supplies to Palestinians held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Anyone who sees the video of Israeli commandos being attacked as they land on that ship knows the people aboard were vicious thugs, not “peace activists.” The media insults our intelligence with their outright mischaracterization of who these enemies are.

How Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Really Works

In paragraph three, Gov. Palin goes on to delineate precisely how humanitarian aid to Gaza works.

Israel delivers thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies every week to Gaza. These ships could have offloaded their cargoes at a nearby Israeli port if they really wanted to help the people of Gaza. Instead, they chose to incite confrontation and violence. Israel has a right to prevent arms shipments to Gaza that will be used to target innocent Israelis, so they were legitimately checking the cargo on the flotilla. Turkey has chosen to condemn Israel but we should be asking some serious questions about Turkey’s role in this whole affair. Why is a fellow member of NATO sponsoring such a dangerous publicity stunt? As one expert points out: “Three ships of that six-ship pro-terror convoy flew Turkish flags and were crowded with Turkish citizens. The Ankara government – led by Islamists these days – sponsored the ‘aid’ operation in a move to position itself as the new champion of the Palestinians. And Turkish decision-makers knew Israel would have to react – and were waiting to exploit the inevitable clash. The provocation was as cynical as it was carefully orchestrated.”

In her closing paragraph, Gov. Palin exhorts the Obama administration to stand by Israel.

We can only hope the Obama Administration does not join the anti-Israel chorus in the aftermath of this staged confrontation. Please, Mr. President, we need to let Israelis know we stand with them in their fight against terrorists and those who arm and support them. America and her ally, Israel, stand by waiting for your response.

- Sarah Palin

Conclusion

Anyone who continues to harbor doubts about Gov. Palin's knowledge of foreign affairs can lay them to rest. Gov. Palin has clearly done her homework on this issue. Unfortunately, Obama's handling of foreign affairs has been less than stellar, to put it kindly. I share in Gov. Palin's hope that he'll stand by Israel, but I honestly would be very surprised if he does, for Obama has demonstrated numerous times that his loyalty lies elsewhere.