75 Years Ago Today

I fear that for many young Americans the word "Guadalcanal" means nothing.
Guadalcanal is an island in the Solomons named after a village in the province of Seville, Spain. The island was named by the Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña in 1568, for the village which was the birthplace for a member of Mendaña's expedition.

In 1942 this island was the scene for the beginning of the end of the Japanese Empire.

At Guadalcanal, the Empire of Japan lost two-thirds of their 31,000-plus army troops committed to the fight. Approximately 1,600 Americans were killed. Warship losses were roughly equal, but the Japanese would never equal American industrial ability to replace them and so felt the loses more significantly. Most devastating to the Japanese was the decimation of their elite naval aviators. From this, they would never recover. The most shocking of American losses was the over 5,000 U.S. sailors and Naval officers killed, a figure that easily surpassed the Navy’s accumulated losses in all her history.

More here.

NOTE: Guadalcanal was a crucial victory as it is only a three hour flight from this island to Brisbane, Australia. Japanese airfields would have made transportation form the US to its ally very difficult.

Are We Looking At Another Benghazi?

Marine reinforcements are being sent to the US Embassy in Baghdad. I hope there are minefields and concealed machine guns surrounding the embassy.

From Fox News:

The U.S. military has sent a platoon of Marines to bolster security at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad following recent protests led by firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Twenty-five U.S. Marine infantrymen arrived late Thursday night, a U.S. defense official told Fox News.

The move comes amid the Sadr-led protests against the rule of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, which escalated last weekend with protesters storming the Green Zone in Baghdad where the embassy is located.

[...]A U.S. Marine rifle company of more than 150 Marines, in addition to private security contractors, has been protecting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and will continue to do so.

I hate to even speculate about this, but with SecState Kerry leading the show I do not have any confidence that our people will be protected at any cost.

Mexico Releases Sgt. Tahmooressi

From Fox News:

After 214 days in a Mexican prison, Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi crossed the US – Mexican border Friday night, boarding a private jet for Florida shortly after 9 p.m., after a strong diplomatic push appeared to help convince a judge to release the former Marine on humanitarian grounds.

After reviewing the ruling, Tahmooressi family spokesman Jonathan Franks said the judge acted on a recommendation from the PGR, the Mexican Attorney General's Office. In that motion, the prosecutor "essentially withdrew the charges," Franks said. Moments later, the trial judge issued an acquittal in Andrew's case, calling for an "immediate and absolute release."

His release comes after a lengthy, closed trial and a Congressional hearing in September highly critical of Obama Administration efforts to secure his release and Mexico’s refusal to let him go. Tahmooressi said he made an innocent mistake the evening he crossed into Tijuana with three weapons in his truck on March 31.

My wife and I were Skyping with our daughter this afternoon;  she is currently stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.

She states that there are are precious few signs letting you know where you are and that depending on what cell tower your signal is bouncing from, you may suddenly see, "Welcome to Mexico" on your cell phone.

Take a look at the following. That straight, dark line at the bottom is the border. It wouldn't take much to find your self right on the border.

However, Sgt. Tahmooressi  perhaps doesn't have that excuse. He was arrested at the El Chaparral checkpoint as you go into Tijuana. This is the world's busiest border check point, not some little gated road with a toll booth and a sleepy guard. 

The Marine Sergeant apparently is suffering from PTSD and this may have been how the disorder was presenting itself back on 31 Mar 14 when he was arrested.

At any rate, thank God his ordeal is over, he is home and can receive treatment.

Marine Corps Silent Drill Team

Amazing performance without cadence or commands.