Run For The Wall Participant Killed In Lupton, Arizona

Above, 2022 Run For The Wall participants at the Flying J. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, when I went to the Flying J to get my mail, I saw bikers of the Run For the Wall motorcycle ride.

This is an annual event supporting veterans and their families.

Unfortunately, the ride had a tragic incident near Lupton, Arizona yesterday. Lupton is at the Arizona-New Mexico border and the location of Tee Pee Trading Post.

The Navajo Times reported:

A participant in the 2025 Run For The Wall motorcycle ride was involved in a fatal accident Thursday as the group made its way toward Gallup, according to a police source.

Run For The Wall, or RFTW, is a cross-country motorcycle ride held annually to honor veterans, their families, and to raise awareness of service members who are still Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. The ride begins in Ontario, California, and concludes 10 days later at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

The accident occurred along Interstate 40, and a large portion of the RFTW riders were seen about a mile from the scene.

Above, yours truly with then-Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace at the 2022 Run For The Wall.

To read the full story, go here. 

Biden Signs Pro-Gun Bill

Well, well, well.

His Fraudulency Joe Biden has signed a "minibus" bill that includes a change in the law prohibiting some veterans of their Second Amendment rights. Their rights have been restored.

According to an article in the Buckeye Firearms Association website, Biden is described as angry, while gun-owners are shocked.

They wrote:

Sometimes there's an upside to mental decline — like when the president stumbles into signing a bill that restores Second Amendment rights for America's veterans.

You read that right.

Gun Grabber in Chief Joe Biden recently signed a bill that reversed a policy that has been infringing on gun rights for more than a quarter century.

Here's the story.

Earlier this month, Congress approved a package of legislation to fund various government agencies that corrects a longstanding and shameful practice that had been depriving American veterans of their Second Amendment rights since 1998. The development marked the culmination of a decades-long effort by the NRA to ensure that members of the military with service-connected disabilities could collect the benefits they had earned without fear of forfeiting the right to keep and bear arms. Despite President Biden’s anger over the inclusion of this pro-gun provision in the so-called “minibus” package, he signed the legislation into law on Saturday.

The Department of Veterans Affairs gun ban is a case study of how anti-gun officials opportunistically exploit seemingly benign government programs to advance their objectives. It’s undoing in the 1,050-page spending package, on the other hand, is a case study of sustained pro-gun advocacy in action.

To read the full article, go here. 

Kennedy Secures Second Amendment Win For Veterans

Source: Press Release from office of Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA

WASHINGTON – The Senate today passed a bill package including Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) amendment to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights from bureaucrats at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

“Unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to strip veterans of their Second Amendment rights unilaterally. The Senate did the right thing for veterans and all freedom-loving Americans by passing my amendment today,” said Kennedy.

Current law requires the VA to send a veteran’s name to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help that veteran manage his or her VA benefits. Placement on NICS blocks veterans from purchasing or owning firearms.

Because unelected bureaucrats at the VA ultimately decide—without a court ruling—whether veterans receive help from a fiduciary and therefore end up in NICS, current law denies veterans due process and infringes on veterans’ right to bear arms.

Kennedy’s amendment included in today’s package changes current law to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from sending a veteran’s personal information to NICS unless a judge rules that the veteran is a danger to himself or others.  

Happy Veterans Day!

Above, my dad, second from left, at Camp Cook for basic training prior to being sent to Japan and Korea.

 

"Run For The Wall" At The Flying J

A little while ago, I headed down to the Jamestown, New Mexico Flying J to pick up my mail and in their lot were a couple hundred bikers of the annual "Run For The Wall" motorcycle run. 

From the official website:

Mission Statement

To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.

 

Philosophy

We strive to maintain a safe, supportive and private atmosphere in which all participants can reflect and heal on their journey to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, Illinois in the hope they can return home to a new beginning.

While there, I spotted Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace. He is a follower of mine on Facebook as well as my blog. I stopped to chat with him a bit. He was there to escort the run into Cibola County, which is the neighboring county to the east about 30 miles. Since he is term-limited out as sheriff, he's running for judge in Cibola County.

We were joined by Jamestown friend Nandoh Munoz. I introduced Sheriff Mace to Nandoh. 

Naturally, some photos of the event were taken:

Above, Sheriff Tony Mace and Nandoh Munoz. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Sheriff Tony Mace and yours truly. Photo by Nandoh Munoz.

UPDATE (5-20-22):

Tony L. Mace is running for Cibola County Magistrate Judge - Division 1. (Source: BallotReady) 

I told him he has my endorsement.

Happy Veterans Day!

Above, my dad at Godaido temple in Matsushima,
 Japan in 1951 during the Korean War.

Today is Veterans Day, where we Americans take note of the contributions our military veterans have made to keep the U.S. and much of the word free. 

Thank you for your service!

Dying Man's Wish To See USS Arizona Memorial Fulfilled

Above, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This is one of those kinds of stories I enjoy reading.

A dying veteran was granted his wish to go to Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona Memorial.

KITV Island News reported:

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - A very sick, 86-year-old Washington State man had one wish before he dies: to honor the sailors lost at the USS Arizona. He says, "The main thing on my heart and mind for years has been to return to Pearl Harbor and pay my respects." He got that chance on Thursday, thanks to Dream Foundation, the only national wish-granting organization for terminally-ill adults. 

Last week, the foundation flew Eddie Russell to Pearl Harbor. Dream Foundation covered accommodations and travel from Port Orchard, WA to Oahu, and arranged a special tour at Pearl Harbor for Russell, his wife, Constance, and his daughter/caretaker, Kari.

To read more, go here. 

Happy Veterans Day!

Above, the mesas from the Flying J access road. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans! Thank you for your service!

The weather reporters are focused on the arctic blast that will be hitting areas east of the Rockies this week, but we will be enjoying seasonal temperatures. So we'll be snug a bugs this week.

As for today, I really have no plans. Maybe do some more OHV driving. Might as well enjoy the weather now since it won't last for much too long as we're getting deeper into autumn and closer to winter and the Six Mile Canyon area of the Cibola National Forest will be closed for the winter on December 15.

This week's forecast from the National Weather Service:

Veterans Day

Sunny, with a high near 60. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Tonight

Clear, with a low around 25. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the evening.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 54. East wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming south in the evening.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 59. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Why "Red Flag Laws" Suck: Vet's Guns Confiscated Over A Misheard Conversation

If you thought that "red flag laws" are "reasonable", guess again!

Massachusetts has such a "license to snitch and confiscate" laws and an elderly veteran had his guns confiscated after a busybody waitress misheard a conversation.

WND reported:

There's no reason for Americans to fret over "red flag" laws that give sweeping gun confiscation powers to local governments, right? After all, if you're not a criminal, what's the problem? 

At least that's the general response voiced by many on the left whenever gun owners speak up. But a disturbing incident in Massachusetts is raising hard questions about those firearms seizure laws, especially when it comes to due process. 

According to LifeZette and The Martha's Vineyard Times, an 84-year-old veteran had his legally owned firearms confiscated by local police after a waitress misheard part of a conversation between him and a friend. 

To make matters worse, the vet was also reportedly fired from his position as a school crossing guard, which he used to keep busy after the death of his wife. 

"Stephen Nichols of Tisbury — in the Martha’s Vineyard area of Massachusetts — got the job as a crossing guard because he loves kids," LifeZette reported. "After his wife passed away, he reportedly needed something to occupy his time and his heart." 

Now he's fighting for his fundamental rights as an American. Nichols, a grandfather of 11, was apparently sitting in a local restaurant several weeks ago when he told a friend that he was concerned a school resource officer had been leaving for coffee and other errands instead of staying at the school. 

"Nichols said he was worried somebody would come in and 'shoot up the school' while the officer was out on one of his coffee runs," LifeZette said. "That’s the part of the conversation the waitress overheard — which she reported to the police."

Thankfully, he got his job back after a public outcry. I hope he gets his guns back and sues the crap out of that waitress for any expenses incurred over this travesty.

To read more, go here. 

NFL Taking Money From Breast Cancer, Veterans Funds, To Pay For 'Social Justice' Settlement

The National Football League can't seem to do anything right, except to make a bad p.r. problem into an even worse one.

It has been reported that the NFL will take money it gives to breast cancer and veterans funds to pay for a "social justice" settlement.

The Daily Wire reported:

San Francisco 49er Eric Reid shocked even the left-leaning Slate when he told the magazine in an interview Saturday that the NFL intends to use money slated for breast cancer charities and the "Salute to Service" veterans fund to pay for a seven-year, $89 million "social justice" program designed to placate protesting players. 

The NFL announced the nearly-$100 million initiative last week as a way of "settling" with a coalition of players who have been kneeling during the national anthem since the start of the season — a group led by now-former 49er, out-of-work second string quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Philadelphia Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins and retired NFLer Anquan Boldin.

To read more, go here.

National Cemetery Administration: A Scandal That Nobody's Talking About

Above, Riverside National Cemetery. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is something wrong with the national cemetery system.

It is under the National Cemetery Administration division of the Veterans Administration which is under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

I am sure you've heard of the scandal that involves the VA hospitals where veterans were made to wait resulting in the deaths of many. The Obama Administration promised to fix the problem, but we are about 2-3 years into this and the problems are just as bad now as they were then.

My Aunt Rose passed away on January 5, 2016. She was the widow of my Uncle Ralph, who was a U.S. Army Korean War veteran. He is buried at Riverside National Cemetery. It would seem to be a non-issue to have my aunt buried with my uncle. Yet, she was only buried today (February 2, 2016), nearly a month after her death.

Having families wait for their loved ones to be buried almost a month after their death is not "being treated with dignity." Yet that term is throughout the National Cemetery Administration's website.

Something is dreadfully wrong with the National Cemetery Administration. They try to blame it on the high number of funerals. But that is a bunch of hogwash. There was always high numbers of funerals, My mom was buried 13 days after she passed away in 2010 at Riverside National Cemetery. Apparently, Obama's Administration didn't have enough time after taking office the year before to screw things up sooner.

Perhaps I should talk to Paul Bannai about this. He used to head up the national cemeteries under the Reagan Administration.

I hope the news media picks up on this. But, you know darn well they won't.

Give Thanks To Our Veterans

Today is Veteran's Day.  Thanks to those who served and remember the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thanks also to the men and women who are currently serving in our armed forces.

There are two standouts in my family who served:

Above, my dad at the Godaido Temple in Matsushima, Japan.  He was stationed there briefly during the Korean War.

Above, my grandfather was stationed as a Seabee in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska during World War II.

Obama Wants Private Insurance To Pay For Vet War Injuries

Above, Obama showing his phoney concern.

President Obama has angered veterans over his plan to make veterans use their private insurance policies to pay for treatment of service-related injuries.

From USA.com:

-- McClatchy-Tribune News Service -- Veterans object to administration's insurance plan: "The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The plan would be an about-face on what veterans believe is a longstanding pledge by the government to pay for health care costs that result from their military service. But in a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Barack Obama to take the plan off the table. ... 'It became apparent during our discussion today that the president intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,' said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. 'He says he is looking to generate $540 million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.'"

Nobody should be surprised by this. It shows again how anti-military and anti-veteran the Democrat Party is. They are also hypocrites. Do you recall the outrage by the Democrats that Bush not funding veterans care adequately? Do you recall the Walter Reed Army Hospital scandal?

"It's a betrayal..." from the Buffalo News.

Veterans' Scholarship Bill: Democrat Demagoguery

Barack Obama and others have been demagoguing the opposition of Sen. John McCain and the White House on the veterans' college scholarship bill for the past several days.

Either Sen. Obama is purposely distorting their positions or is greatly misinformed. Obama said in Puerto Rico on Saturday, "Now, let me be clear: No one can dispute John McCain's love for this country or his concern for veterans. But here's what I don't understand. I don't understand why John McCain would side with George Bush and oppose our plan to make college more affordable for our veterans."

The truth of the matter is the Arizona senator opposes the scholarship measure, as does the Pentagon, because it applies to people who serve just three years. McCain fears that would encourage people to leave the military after only one enlistment even as the U.S. fights two wars and is trying to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps.

Instead, McCain and Republican colleagues proposed a bill to increase benefits in conjunction with a veteran's length of service. Senate Democrats blocked that measure.

While I am not a big fan of Sen. McCain, but it is dishonest for anyone to accuse McCain of being anti-veteran due to his opposition of this bill. I thoroughly agree with this position.

McCain said it best with a sharp statement saying that he wouldn't listen to any lectures on veterans' affairs from Obama, "who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform."