Soon, there will be no WWII veterans left. God bless them. God bless their sacrifices.

Walter “Bud” Mahurin passed away on Sunday, May 16th, at the age of 91. Please note this:

Doug Lantry, a historian at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio, said Mahurin’s name is familiar to all in the Air Force.

“Bud Mahurin was the only Air Force pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in the European theater of operations and the Pacific and in Korea,” Lantry told the Los Angeles Times. “He was known as a very courageous, skilled and tenacious fighter pilot.”

Mahurin was shot down himself, twice during World War II and once in the Korean War, which led to his capture and 16 traumatic months in a prison camp.

“I was brought up in an age when flying was the only thing,” Mahurin told the Air Force magazine Airman in 2003, when he was a retired colonel. “We knew the value of being an ace, but you just didn’t try to go out and become an ace. Mostly because, in my case, I was scared to death to begin with. I thought if I just get to meet an ace while on active duty, I’d be happy.”

Mahurin shot down 24 planes in two wars.

God bless this warrior. You’ve more than earned your rest now, sir. Every person in this nation owes you.

BZ

P.S.

More information here on “Bud” Mahurin.

Two nations, North Korea and Iran, did much sabre-rattling at the end of this week.

My guess would be that, in response, Mr Obaka will publicly opine that he is both “concerned” and “monitoring the situation.” When Mr Obaka knows no response, he “monitors” and expresses “concern.”

First, NoKo:

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Tensions deepened Thursday on the Korean peninsula as South Korea accused North Korea of firing a torpedo that sank a naval warship, killing 46 sailors in the country’s worst military disaster since the Korean War.

President Lee Myung-bak vowed “stern action” for the provocation following the release of long-awaited results from a multinational investigation into the March 26 sinking near the Koreas’ tense maritime border. North Korea, reacting swiftly, called the results a fabrication, and warned that any retaliation would trigger war. It continued to deny involvement in the sinking of the warship Cheonan.

“If the (South Korean) enemies try to deal any retaliation or punishment, or if they try sanctions or a strike on us …. we will answer to this with all-out war,” Col. Pak In Ho of North Korea’s navy told broadcaster APTN in an exclusive interview in Pyongyang.

An international civilian-military investigation team said evidence overwhelmingly proves a North Korean submarine fired a homing torpedo that caused a massive underwater blast that tore the Cheonan apart. Fifty-eight sailors were rescued from the frigid Yellow Sea waters, but 46 perished.

Since the 1950-53 war on the Korean peninsula ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas remain locked in a state of war and divided by the world’s most heavily armed border.

The truce prevents Seoul from waging a unilateral military attack.

However, South Korea and the U.S., which has 28,500 troops on the peninsula, could hold joint military exercises in a show of force, said Daniel Pinkston, a Seoul-based analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank.

South Korean and U.S. officials also said they are considering a variety of options in response to the warship’s sinking, ranging from U.N. Security Council action to additional U.S. penalty.

Then, from Iran:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad‘s chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, said Wednesday that if Israel attacked Iran it would be destroyed within a week.

Speaking at a political conference of ultra-conservatives in Iran’s north, Mashaei said, “If the Zionist regime attacks Iran, the Zionists will have no longer than a week to live.”

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying that the Islamic Republic would destroy Israel “in less than 10 days”.

Mashaei, who was also formerly a vice president, added that new sanctions to be imposed on Iran for its nuclear program would only harm Western countries.

Best course? Do nothing. Say nothing — except “monitoring” with “concern.”

BZ

The past few days have been a remarkable “target-rich environment” for news.

I almost don’t know where to start.

THE WRITING ON THE WALL:

I suppose the first place to start would be the recent primaries in which incumbents were mostly voted out. Arlen Specter, a man whom I quite frankly despised, is no longer a politician. His quivering, equivocating ass was voted out. There couldn’t be a better outcome. Specter was an “empty suited” political hack.

Blanche Lincoln, even if she wins, is in for a major fight.

Rand Paul, won.

The American People are tired of — even after only one year — whatever Mr Obaka seems to peddling.

Even where Demorats won, they won on the backs of their individual trends and beliefs, and NOT because they endorsed Mr Obaka. The farther from Mr Obaka they trended, the better their results.

FORNICALIA vs ARIZONA:

Many jurisdictions, in Fornicalia, have accused Arizona of racism in re its most recent law regarding illegal invaders.

Here is the actual 17-page bill in a PDF file. Please read it for yourself. Then draw your own conclusions.

AG Holder hasn’t read the law; Napolitano hasn’t read the law.

They are simply trotting out the Political Pablum demanded by Mr Obaka.

This is simply just beyond vacuous. I call it: Remarkable Ignorance transitioning into Willful Blindness.

CONSEQUENCES:

Arizona is finally reacting to the threats promised by any number of Fornicalia jurisdictions, agencies and governmental entities.

Los Angeles, for example, at the behest of Mexican Mayor Antonio Villaraigoso, determined to cut anything or anyone from Arizona off at the knees.

In between, AriZona Tea — manufactured in New York — suffered. Persons who wished to “boycott” items from Arizona were, in fact, that incredibly stupid.

In response to the Los Angeles and Fornicalia boycott, Arizona Commission Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce sent this letter on May 18th:

Dear Mayor Villaraigosa,

I was dismayed to learn that the Los Angeles City Council voted to boycott Arizona and Arizona-based companies — a vote you strongly supported — to show opposition to SB 1070 (Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act).

You explained your support of the boycott as follows: “While we recognize that as neighbors, we share resources and ties with the State of Arizona that may be difficult to sever, our goal is not to hurt the local economy of Los Angeles, but to impact the economy of Arizona. Our intent is to use our dollars — or the withholding of our dollars — to send a message.” (emphasis added)

I received your message; please receive mine. As a state-wide elected member of the Arizona Corporation Commission overseeing Arizona’s electric and water utilities, I too am keenly aware of the “resources and ties” we share with the City of Los Angeles. In fact, approximately twenty-five percent of the electricity consumed in Los Angeles is generated by power plants in Arizona.

If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation. I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands.

If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy.

People of goodwill can disagree over the merits of SB 1070. A state-wide economic boycott of Arizona is not a message sent in goodwill.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Gary Pierce

Again, I submit there are consequences to ones words and ones actions.

Arizona provides 25% of LA’s electricity.

Arizona also provides a major percentage of LA’s water via the Colorado River. That is why, for anyone who has taken a Hoover Dam tour, there is a constant presence of an LAWP truck or such at the site.

You want to actually go there, Los Angeles?

You’d best be prepared to rely upon — imagine that! — the federal government for help.

Arizona is about to cut your ass right off with a chainsaw.

As well it SHOULD.

BZ

Arlen Spector left the Republican Party because he perceived a challenge.

He lost against Joe Sestak.

This is called a clue.

BZ

Here is a military officer who displays, in two minutes, knowledge and wisdom the media and the current US government cannot remotely hope to acquire.

Listen to every word he says.

BZ

P.S.
Thanks to Nickie Goomba. Also, Allen West is running for Congress in Florida. Donate here.