Friday, November 27, 2015

Obama spending Millions to Militarize the EPA

Friends, this is a story that was sent to me regarding wasteful spending in our government and the arming of an agency that does not need the military hardware.

The Environmental Protection Agency's mission is to protect human health and the environment. How does that mission necessitate purchasing military weapons for that agency? Why would they need to do so to do their job? What is wrong with citing someone and taking them to court for due process? Why would the EPA need guns?

On October 10th, 2015, the Washington Times, reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has spent millions of dollars over the last decade on military-style weapons to arm its 200 "special agents".

Yes, MILLIONS of dollars to arm 200 EPA regulatory agents. Friends, that means that even if they spent just ONE Million to arm, that is a tremendous amount of money to arm a single person.

Supposedly this is to fight "Environmental crime." But really, why does the EPA need to purchase weapons, handguns and fully-automatic assault rifles, body armor, camouflage equipment, unmanned aircraft, amphibious assault ships, radar and night-vision gear and other military-style weaponry and surveillance activities?

This from a new report by the watchdog group Open the Books leads us to ask what's going on in a time when the Obama administration is cutting spending on military equipment and arms -- and cutting the salaries of our troops?

"Protecting the environment just got real. With millions of dollars spent on military style weaponry, the EPA is now literally ensconced with all institutional force," said Adam Andrzejewski, founder of Open the Books and the author of the report.

"Our report discovered that when the EPA comes knocking they are armed with a thousand lawyers, arrest/criminal data, credit, business and property histories, plus a ‘Special Agent’ with the latest in weaponry and technology," Mr. Andrzejewski added.

The agency spends nearly $75 Million each year for criminal enforcement, including money for a small militia of 200 "Special Agents" who are supposedly in-charge of "fighting environmental crime."

Yes, the image of a  fully armed military SWAT Team from the EPA kicking down a door and frisking people because of an oil spill is not one that should come to mind when thinking about the EPA enforcing their regulations.

Congress granted police powers to the EPA in 1988, during the Reagan administration, to set up special agents to "enforce the nation’s laws by investigating cases, collecting evidence, conducting forensic analyses and providing legal guidance to assist in the prosecution of criminal conduct that threatens people’s health and the environment."

Nowhere does the law give them permission to arm, or say that they should be armed, or say that they should obtain military equipment to investigate cases, collect evidence, conduct forensic analyses and provide legal guidance. Besides the fact that there is nowhere in their statue that authorizes them to arm, the amount of money being spent on this just doesn't make any sense.

Believe it or not, as insane as it sounds, the EPA admits to the fact that each Special Agent costs taxpayers $216,000 per year in salary, travel, equipment, training and other expenses. And yes, the EPA's spending on military weapons is just one example of the agency’s questionable purchases highlighted in the 40-page report.

Open the Books, a nonpartisan and nonprofit group based in Illinois, scanned tens of thousands of the agency’s spending contracts totaling more than $93 billion from 2000 to 2014. Among the findings were hundreds of millions of dollars on high-end office furnishings, sports equipment and "environmental justice" grants "to raise awareness of Global Warming".

The report also reveals that seven of 10 EPA employees make more than $100,000 a year and more than 12,000 of its 16,000 employees were given bonuses last year despite budget cuts. The EPA also employs more than 1,000 attorneys, making it one of the largest law firms in the country.

And yes, to add insult to injury, the EPA also sent Millions of Dollars to so-called "International Organizations" -- mostly in support of Global Warming -- including groups in Mexico and China.

Friends, there are over 70 Federal Government agencies that have police powers. Yes, there are 70 agencies that have their own law enforcement agents. Just like the EPA, all are spending Millions of dollars to arm themselves.

Yes, this stinks! It stinks because this is all taking place while Americans are told that there will be Social Security cuts for Seniors, and cuts to disability benefits for Veterans. It also stinks because our troops are using worn out equipment and have not seen a cost of living salary increase. It stinks because federal agents for the EPA are making $100,000 a year and more for some agents, while our troops are on food stamps.

Obama cuts our military, cuts Social Security, cuts Veterans disability benefits, but finds funds for unnecessary military weapons for the EPA and other agencies. Friends, something is wrong when we have the Environmental Protection Agency arming themselves like some sort of small elite branch of our military -- all while the Obama administration cuts benefits and out military.

Frankly, I'm at the point of being fed up with this sort of wasteful spending. I've made up my mind that I will vote for any Republican who will close down the EPA and discontinue any other Federal agency who is doing things it was not originally created to do -- such as needlessly spending taxpayer dollars on weapons and gear!

Yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Thanksgiving 2015 & The Great Pumpkin Shortage



This time of year, Americans should be free of worry and filled with thanks. But with rising costs of food, clothing, and our ability to stretch a dollar becoming more and more challenging, Americans have more than our share of worries.

In California, its the drought that has adversely effected crop production and subsequently food prices are high. In the Midwest, it was unexpected rains. And yes, with those rains came a disaster for farmers there. All of this has led to worries about pumpkins!  Yes, not since the Great Depression have Americans had to worry about the availability of pumpkins.

We know that Pumpkin Pies are what tops off a Thanksgiving dinner. It is the favorite dessert for many, including me.

We know pumpkins are carved up for Halloween. And yes, Pumpkin Pies are traditional for Thanksgiving and Christmas in the United States and Canada. And frankly, if the rest of the world doesn't eat Pumpkin Pies -- that might be their major problem.

The pie consists of a pumpkin-based custard, ranging in color from orange to brown, baked in a single pie shell. And yes, though I've heard of it -- it rarely comes with a top crust. To make a Pumpkin Pie, one needs its main ingredients: pie shell, eggs, condensed milk, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and of course pumpkin.

The pie is generally flavored with cinnamon, powdered ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Allspice is also commonly used, and can replace the clove and nutmeg as its flavor is similar to both combined. Cardamom and vanilla are also sometimes used as batter spices.

Pumpkin Pies are usually made from canned pumpkin filling with all of the needed spices included. I didn't know any of this as I simply eat them, and have never tried making one.

Some recipes may also call for substitutes to be used, such as butternut squash instead of pumpkin. Yes, there are rebels everywhere!

While I can go into the whole history of the pumpkin, I will spare you by simply saying that pumpkin is a native to the continent of North America. Yes, it's American!

Pumpkins made their way to France and then England, or vice versa, and a Pumpkin Pie of sorts did not become a common addition to the Thanksgiving dinner until the Pilgrims brought pumpkin pies back to New England.

I say "Pumpkin Pie of sorts" because the folks back then prepared their English version of Pumpkin Pie by stuffing a pumpkin with apples, spices, and sugar and then baking it whole. Yes, I'd say their attempt at Pumpkin Pie making was sad at best.

While there are seasonal pumpkin pie-flavored products such as ice cream and such, throughout the United States it is traditional to serve pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. And yes, pumpkins are packed with healthy vitamins and nutrients that are great for heart health, great for your vision, fights cancer, wonderful for your mood, helps the immune system, and believe it or not is an energy food that helps keep waistlines in check. Of course, for me, it tastes great as pie!


A can of pureed pumpkin, typically used as the main ingredient in the pie filling is what a Pumpkin Pie is all about.

Commercially made pumpkin pie mix is made from Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata pumpkins.

Food giant Libbey's Select uses the Select Dickinson Pumpkin variety of Cucurbita moschata pumpkins for its canned pumpkins.

So now, where's the problem you say? Well, there's a Pumpkin Pie shortage!  

Yes, there is a Pumpkin Pie shortage. Have I repeated myself enough to emphasis the true nature of how bad the situation is? Can you imagine homes with no Pumpkin Pies during this time of year? Can you imagine Thanksgiving with no Pumpkin Pie? Can you imagine an America with no Pumpkin Pie?

While some might not see this as an all out National Emergency, I'm sure there is a Pumpkin Pie fan out there who will have a tear in his coffee knowing that he going to be restricted to only one slice -- if at all.

How do I know this? In October, it was reported that we have a shortage of pumpkins. That was the word from the owner of Libby’s, the largest American pumpkin pie producer, after record summer rains damaged this year’s pumpkin crop.

Yields in Illinois, the center of American pumpkin production, are down about 50 percent from 2014, according to Nestle SA, Libby’s parent company. Yes, half of what it should be!

Libby’s which ordinarily produces 80 percent of canned pumpkin in the United States will this year make enough to bake about 45 million 8-inch pumpkin pies, half of what it originally planned.

I don't know if some are taking this calamity serious enough. For example, Roz O’Hearn, a spokeswoman for Nestle USA, said, "Maybe that means you’ll have one slice instead of two!"

Oh the humanity! Only one slice! 

That orange fruit, yes it's a fruit, may be the greatest victim so far of this summer’s record rainfall, which also dented corn and soybean yields in the eastern Midwest. The inclement weather meant delayed planting and germination and fewer blossoms turning into fruit, which means that much of the crop that were destined for processing was planted before June had to sit in water-logged fields.

The United States produced 1.31 billion pounds, that's over 600,000 metric tons, of pumpkins in 2014. Sales of pumpkin-pie filling in the United States were $134.1 million in the 52 weeks through August 22nd, 2015, according to data from Nielsen.

While Libby’s has contracts with farmers within a radius of about a 50 miles of its canning plant in Morton, a town that’s home to an annual pumpkin festival, that might not be enough.

The pumpkins Libby’s uses for canning aren’t suited for Halloween jack-o’-lanterns. So no, they were not the one used to light porches and scare away goblins. The pumpkins Libby uses is oval-shaped, pale orange and heavy, with a dense, meaty interior.

Addressing this emergency of sorts, Roz O’Hearn, spokeswoman for Nestle USA, said, "We think we’ll have enough pumpkins to get consumers through the important Thanksgiving holiday. But after that, there’s going to be a shortage, until you get to the next harvest."

For me, during Thanksgiving, I always thank God for his blessings. I'm always thankful that I can spend time with those I love and care about. And yes, I always make it a point to thank God for those who work so hard making the dinner the feast it is, those who worked hard to provide such a dinner.

Among the blessing that my wife and I are grateful for this year is that the Butte Fire, which raged through more than 70,000 acres and destroyed the homes of more than 500 people here in Calaveras and Amador Counties, didn't take our home. My wife and me are thankful to God that our home and small community of Glencoe was spared.

And yes, after our Thanksgiving dinner, we can look forward to that Pumpkin Pie and thank those Midwest farmers for saving the crop that they could. We can thank them for bringing in the crop that they could during this year's very wet conditions.

So friends, if you have a Pumpkin Pie? Among your thanks, don't forget to also be thankful that you have one.

May God Bless You and Yours. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tom Correa


Sunday, November 22, 2015

Public Schools forcing Christian students to become Muslims

Pictured here are Christian and other non-Muslim students in a public school
being made to dress and practice Islamic rituals in the classroom.
Why are American public schools forcing Christian children, their students, to learn Muslim prayer? And frankly, since Christian students are not allowed Christian prayer in schools, why is it OK that they be forced to learn and recite Islamic prayers but not Christian prayers?

This last week a California public middle school teacher has found herself in hot water after having her class sing a song praising Islam. She thought the catchy tune was just the ticket to teach her seventh-graders about Islam.

The Anaheim teacher wrote the lyrics herself, using the melody of Rachel Platten’s "This Is My Fight Song," according to CBS Los Angeles affiliate KCAL-TV. 

One verse reads:
Like a sandstorm
In the desert
Sending camels
Into motion

Like how a single faith
Can make a heart open,
They might only have one god,
But they can make an explosion.

That last line was especially inappropriate, given the carnage left in Paris last week by Islamic State militants who used explosive suicide vests inside a soccer stadium.

The chorus begins:
Offers and Articles You Might Like
And all those things they have to say
Allah, Islam’s on the way

Susan Negron said she only found out about the song by accident, when her grandson brought it home from school. She and her daughter, Nichole Negron, both appeared before the Oceanview School Board on Tuesday to address their concerns.

"I believe that by singing this song, the children feel comfortable believing that maybe Allah is the only god, and maybe that they should start following him,” Susan Negron said. “And that I’m not OK with."

There are many instances around the country where this sort of Muslim indoctrination is taking place. For instance, it was reported recently that students going to public schools in Revere, Massachusetts, are not only being forced to learn the principles and core tenets of the religion of Islam, but they are also being forced to learn the Islam "conversion" prayer.

On November 20th, it was reported that a Utah middle school teacher was the target of backlash from parents over a homework assignment she gave. She instructed her students to design a propaganda poster for a Muslim terrorist organization such as the Islamic State group.

It was "supposed to help students understand the goals and methods of terrorist organizations, and how propaganda can be wrong," according to the local CBS affiliate KUTV Channel 2 News.

Believe it or not, this is at the High School level. These are 9th Graders. Yes, about 60 of them were given the assignment by a first year teacher at Salem Junior High School. Thankfully it was nipped in the bud after several parents began voicing complaints.

Lana Hiskey, a spokeswoman for Salem Junior High School, actually had the nerve to say, "We’re grateful when parents have a concern, that they will call the school and let the principal know immediately. There were just over 60 students involved in this assignment and we’ve had four phone calls or communication with parents that had concerns."

In other words, 4 parents out of 60 kids means that it wasn't a big deal to them. But frankly, her statement lacks information as to why this assignment was given? And is that teacher FIRED?

The assignment’s front page details "eight reasons why young Muslims join ISIS." On the reverse side, students were asked to design a "terrorism propaganda poster."



"She was just very enthusiastic and wanted students to understand that propaganda is not good,” said Hiskey, who admitted it was a first-year teacher and the assignment had not been approved.

One parent, who didn’t wish to be identified, told the station that he was concerned that his 14-year-old son could find himself on a terror watch list after having researched groups like the Islamic State on the Internet.

And no, there is no word as to what discipline action is being taken against that teacher!

So really, why is this going on in American PUBLIC SCHOOLS? And why are these children being threatened with failing grades if they refuse to learn and recite the Muslim prayers, or help make ISIS recruiting posters?

Why is this taking place in "public schools" that we've all been told is religion neutral ground where prayer is forbidden? And really, since Liberal Atheist parents get their panties in a twist every time some kid mentions "God" in schools? Why the liberal parents are OK with it?

Since it has been the Liberal parents of children in schools around the country, most being Atheist, who have complained and have gotten any mention of God out of public schools, why are they OK with worshiping Allah through Muslim prayer in our schools? I know I repeated myself, but it is a question as to why the Political Hypocrisy? If it were Christians teaching about Jesus Christ, the schools would be shut down and the whole staff sued!

As for Muslims, by simply reciting the "conversion prayer" -- you are officially converted to Islam. Is that what this is all about? Is this an effort to have American Christian children convert and become Muslims?

Parents who are pissed off have every right to be. They send their children to school to learn reading, writing, arithmetic, not to be forced to to recite the conversion prayer, known as the Shahada, and become Muslims.

When and where did this Muslim indoctrination start? It is simply wrong and a manipulation of young minds to accept a religion that is not theirs.

And yes, please don't kid yourself, Islamic indoctrination is happening in public schools all across America. Over the past few months, Islamic indoctrination is taking place in many states. It has become a nation-wide epidemic.

Is the U.S. Department of Education in charge of demanding that Muslim rituals be taught now in public schools? Is this what Obama meant by changing America? Is Obama's idea of change include the fact that he and his administration have used every opportunity possible to forcefully impose Islam on American life?

Parents from across the country are concerned about the teaching of Islam in their local schools. And rightfully so, after all, many schools are go beyond simply teaching about a religion and actually indoctrinating children into the Islamic faith.

And frankly, when did this bullshit about teaching children about religions start? When many of us went to elementary school, no such instruction was ever needed. So why do teachers and school administrators find it necessary to teach religion in public schools? Whatever happened to the whole "separation of church and state"?

Do schools need to teach about religions, and/or religious practices in public schools where a classroom may be filled with children who come from families made up of many religions? Where do public schools get off thinking that indoctrination, the teaching of Islam, is OK?

I read where students in Tennessee and Georgia were told to recite the Five Pillars of Islam -- the Islamic conversion creed -- while not learning about Christianity or Judaism. Some schools in Georgia reportedly went as far as to tell students that Allah is the same God worshiped by Christians. Imagine the nerve of these people!

At least one Tennessee middle school, yes a middle school, where Islam was covered for over three weeks, students were told to write "Allah is the only God" while there were no lessons on Christianity or Jesus Christ. And if you think it is only Tennessee and Georgia, think again. One high school in Wisconsin was reported to be forcing students to "pretend you are a Muslim."

Some are calling for equal time, but they miss the point -- there should be NO CLASSES ON RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

The United States Supreme Court has ruled against prayer in public school! 

So if the Supreme Court can, and has rule against Christian prayer, why it is that their ruling is not being enforced FAIRLY and EQUALLY across the board to all religions? 

Why are Christians targeted for saying the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, or saying a prayer before lunch, yet school are teaching full-blown Muslim indoctrination courses to children who are not of the Muslim faith?

There is no legitimate reason to teach the tenants of Islam, or the Seven Sacrements of the Catholic Church, or Liberal Atheism. Since public schools have been deemed not a place for Christian prayer, then they should not be a place for any prayer of any religion.

Fair is fair, and what is good for one should be good for all!

Bottom line is this: Forcing students to adopt a particular religious viewpoint violates the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution. And yes, teachers or not, those violating the law should be in jail or prison!

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is fighting to end the un-Constitutional teaching of Islam in public schools. They report, "Incredibly, as Islam continues to be taught in schools around the nation, students are being denied the right to establish Bible Clubs on campus, bring their Bibles to school, and speak about Christianity. Simply put, schools may not promote Islam while silencing Christianity."

As for learning about history, I really believe American history should be taught in public schools. As for classes in religious instruction, there is no reason to teach religious classes in a non-religious educational facility -- especially not Muslim Indoctrination 101.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Harry C. Wheeler -- Lawman & Patriot

A close friend asked me to look into this lawman. He said that my readers would enjoy his story, and that I would be surprised with what I found. Well my friend was right in that I have found the story about Harry C. Wheeler very surprising. Now I'm hoping he is right in that you enjoy reading about this man.

Unlike many of the Old West's characters who we hear about, with most of what people know being just amplified myths and little fact, Harry Cornwall Wheeler was one of the real deals in the Old West. He's someone more folks should know about.

Harry Cornwall Wheeler was an Arizona lawman. He was the third Captain of the Arizona Rangers, the Sheriff of Cochise County, and a soldier in the United States Army in both the Spanish-American War and later in World War One. He did more in his fairly short life than most who lived much longer.

Harry Wheeler was born on July 23rd, 1875, in Jacksonville, Florida. the son of Colonel William B. Wheelsex of the United States Army. In 1897, at age 22, Wheeler enlisted in the 1st Cavalry and fought in the Spanish-American War before being given the rank of Sergeant and a medical discharge in 1902. He was said to be an excellent marksman with a rifle and pistol. After the Army, Wheeler joined the Arizona Rangers in 1903 and was promoted to Sergeant a mere four months later.

On October 23rd, 1904, Harry C. Wheeler was involved in his first gunfight at the Palace Saloon in Tucson, Arizona Territory. It all started just before midnight when Joe Bostwick is said to have slipped through the rear door of the Palace Saloon to rob the place. Bostwick's face mostly covered with a red bandana, reportedly complete with eye-holes. He brandished a Colt .45 Single Action pistol, and shouted, "Hands up!"

Four employees were on duty in the Palace that night. Those employees were the bartender, a craps dealer, a roulette dealer, and a porter. Along with the employees were four customers. One customer who is believed to be a man named M.D. Beede is said to have slipped out the front door and ran up Congress Street looking for the law.

Inside the Palace Saloon, Bostwick ordered all there to "Throw up your hands and march into the side room. Hold them up higher! Hold up your digits!" His instructions were heeded and the men filed by him. Bostwick then went over to the craps table and helped himself to the money that lay scattered about. What he didn't know was that outside on Congress Street, Mr. Beede had found Arizona Ranger Sergeant Harry Wheeler who had just emerged from Wanda’s Restaurant.

Beede approached Wheeler who had turned toward the Palace, and said, "Don’t go in there! There’s a holdup going on!" Supposedly Wheeler calmly replied. "All right, that’s what I’m here for" while pulling his own Single-Action Colt .45 from its holster.

Wheeler then stepped to the front door of the saloon, and immediately Bostwick spotted him and whirled to fire his revolver. Wheeler was already in position and let go with his first shot. His heavy .45 slug grazed Bostwick’s forehead above the right eye, and with that Bostwick fired again. This time he fired wildly.

Wheeler fired again and this time a .45 slug slammed into the right side of Bostwick's chest. Mortally wounded, Joe Bostwick collapsed to the floor.

When interviewed by a reporter for The Tucson Citizen, Wheeler commented:

"I am sorry that this happened, but it was either his life or mine, and if I hadn’t been just a little quicker on the draw than he was, I might be in his position now. Under the circumstances, if I had to do it over again, I think I would do exactly the same thing."

Wheeler was later involved in a shootout in Benson, where he killed a second man. It became known as the "Shootout in Benson." That took place on February 27th, 1907, when Arizona Ranger Sergeant Harry C. Wheeler attempted to detain a man named J. A. Tracy in Benson.

No one really knows why Tracy was being detained. But for whatever reason, it didn't sit well with Tracy who resisted arrest and instead produced a hideout gun.
Tracy then opening fire on Wheeler.

When the first shot went off, it was only then that Wheeler went for his pistol. Shots were exchanged at fairly close range, and when the smoke cleared both Tracy and Wheeler were badly wounded. J.A. Tracy died of his wounds. Luckily for Wheeler, after some time off, he fully recovered. It's said after that, he was a lot more conscientious about searching suspects.

Soon after that shooting incident in 1907, Wheeler replaced Thomas H. Rynning as Captain of the Arizona Rangers. He served as the agency's leader until its disbanding in 1909. Arizona Ranger Captain Harry C. Wheeler was the third Captain in Arizona Ranger history. He is considered an example of professionalism and fortitude.

In 1911, just two years after the Arizona Rangers disbanded, Harry C. Wheeler was elected Sheriff of Cochise County. He was re-elected in 1914 and again in 1916. It was during that time that he took on many growing problems along the border. During the turn of the century, smuggling across the border with Mexico was a serious problem.

When Arizona became a "dry" state with the banning of alcohol on January 1st, 1915, smuggling booze into Arizona became big business. Of course, because Cochise County bordered Mexico and the state of New Mexico, and both still allowing alcohol, Cochise County quickly became a conduit for both American and Mexican bootleggers and alcohol smugglers.

The Gleeson Gunfight

On the night of March 5th, 1917, Sheriff Wheeler and Deputy Gibson were returning to the Deputy's home in Gleeson. They were traveling in a 1915 Oldsmobile Touring Car. They had a full day of searching the Chiricahua Mountains for rum-runners, those smugglers that became such a problem. Because they were exhausted and could not safely drive in the dark, it was sunset when the two lawmen decided to stop and make camp for the night.

The location where they stopped was about two miles east of Gleeson. They decided to camp along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks there. Almost as soon as they rolled out their blankets and laid down next to the car, they started taking incoming fire from a few Mexican outlaws. Their position was behind some rocks about 200 yards away from the railroad tracks. The first shot smashed the front window out of the car, the other shots were random.

Wheeler immediately grabbed a box of ammunition and his rifle. Gibson only had his revolver and the ammunition on his gun belt. Both Officers returned fire while attempting to gain better cover. Soon they climbed up the top of the railroad berm in an attempt to get a better look at their attackers.

The whole while they were moving forward, the two lawmen could hear the outlaws shouting insults to them in Spanish, saying, "We‍ '​ll fix you gringos! Come and get us now!" Yes, it sounds a lot like these days on the border.

By counting the muzzle flashes and were they were coming from, Wheeler and Gibson determined that there were at least four Mexican shooters firing from four different locations. The firefight lasted for nearly an hour as the two sides exchanged fire with over 100 rounds of ammunition being expended.

It was said that the moon was behind the lawmen and low on the horizon, which made them easy targets. Because of that, they decided to lie prone and wait until the moon went down to make a charge towards the outlaws. In the meanwhile, a couple of the outlaws advanced on the American lawmen under cover fire from the two others behind the rocks.

At about 50 yards from the railroad tracks, one of the Mexican shooters fired at Wheeler. It's said his round just missed him. As for Wheeler, he lay prone on the ground and used one of the rails to steady his rifle. He then rapidly fired six shots at the Mexican outlaw's muzzle flash. It was only a second later that the lawmen heard the sounds of groans coming from his Mexican assailant. In the dark and shooting at the muzzle flashes, he hit his target.

Although the fighting continued, Wheeler stopped the Mexicans assault and sent them the attackers back for cover. Soon the moon disappeared below the horizon, it was then that the lawmen made their charge and found the outlaws' camp had been abandoned in a hurry. The Mexicans ran into the desert to evade capture or being killed. And in the process, they would-be killers left ten cases of whiskey behind. The cases were attached to four donkeys.

That morning, the lawmen found horse tracks heading towards the Chiricahua Mountains. They also found a large pool of blood and tracks made by someone who apparently crawled away. Since no body was ever found, it still remains uncertain if any of the Mexican criminals were actually killed as result of the shootout with the two American lawmen.

Sheriff Wheeler and Deputy Gibson decided against chasing the outlaws right away, since their car was damaged by incoming fire. Instead they walked to Courtland where Wheeler was able to telephone his Chief Deputy Guy Welch who was in Tombstone. Welch brought out more guns and ammunition, as well as another Deputy to help in the pursuit of the Mexican shooters.

Wheeler knew that since the outlaws were in the Chiricahuas and most-likely heading south to cross the border, that they would have to go through Apache Pass in order to enter Mexico. Knowing this, he and his men abandoned the pursuit and went to Tombstone on April 7th, 1917, to drop off the confiscated whiskey.

The next day, they went to Apache Pass and succeeded in capturing two of the Mexican shooters. They then returned them to Gleeson to put them in jail there. One of the prisoners turned out to be the gang's leader. He was a man by the name of Santiago Garcia.

Later when Garcia was asked why he opened fire on Wheeler and Gibson, Garcia said that he and his men thought the lawmen were actually rival bootleggers. He said that were afraid that their cargo of booze would be hijacked. According to Garcia, he and his men retreated only when they found out that Wheeler and Gibson were lawmen.

If this story from a rum-runner doesn't sound right, it shouldn't. Remember, the Mexicans called out during the firefight stating that they knew exactly who they were shooting at. And more importantly, they knew exactly who they were trying to kill.

After that shootout, Wheeler and his men were dispatched to investigate a murder that took place in the town of Douglas. Also, they were sent to look into the death of an unknown man near Bisbee. The man found near Bisbee was found with a gunshot wound to the head.

A few months later in June of 1917, Sheriff Wheeler faced a different problem. Communist affiliated with the IWW Labor Union Local, a Union composed mainly of miners in Bisbee began a strike against a mining concern. Phelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 as an import-export firm by Anson Greene Phelps and his two British sons-in-law William Earle Dodge, Sr. and Daniel James.

With the expansion of the Western frontier, besides Eastern and European corporations taking over ranches, many of those same corporations acquired mines and mining companies. That included the very large Copper Queen Mine in Arizona. Phelps Dodge Corporation operated its own mines and acquired railroads to carry its products to be processed. By the late 19th Century, Phelps Dodge was known as a very large mining company.

Sheriff Wheeler knew there would be trouble. The International Workers of the World (IWW) had a reputation as being "bomb throwers," Communist agitators, Socialist, who wanted to attack American industry and were there to cause unrest. IWW members were commonly termed "Wobblies" and were an international radical labor union that was founded in 1905 by a group of Socialists and Communists. The philosophy and tactics of the IWW was described as being violent and revolutionary with ties to Socialists and Anarchists and Communists who wanted to overthrow the United States and our Capitalist system of individual freedom. The IWW promoted Communism through labor take overs and strikes in Europe and on the East Coast of the United States.

The IWW's activities were in the newspapers, and Sheriff Wheeler knew what he was up against. To combat the trouble of a thousand strikers showing up there, with the vast majority of strikers actually being brought in from outside of Arizona, Wheeler deputized 2,200 men from Bisbee and Douglas to act as a posse.

On July 12th, 1917, Sheriff Wheelers posse of 2.200 Deputies arrested 2,000 IWW strikers as they arrived in Bisbee. Of those, nearly 1,300 of the strikers and their Communist supporters were placed in 23 cattle cars and then "deported" out of Arizona. Wheeler sent the union agitators across the border to Hermanas, New Mexico, in what has since became known as the "Bisbee Deportation."

After that, Sheriff Wheeler tightened security in an effort to keep the citizens of Bisbee and Douglas safe from union retaliation. Because of threats to the population, Sheriff Wheeler established guard posts at all of the entrances to Bisbee and Douglas. During that time and for the next several months until the threat of harm passed, all citizens seeking to exit or enter the towns had to present a "passport" which was issued by the County Sheriff. Wheeler was taking the threats from the IWW membership seriously.

Any adult male in town who was not known to the sheriff's men was brought before a court, some called it the "Sheriff's kangaroo court" to find out who they were and what was their intentions for being there. Hundreds of people were tried in that court. Most were found to be indeed IWW members returning to cause harm. They were "deported" out of Arizona by Wheeler's deputies.

Some were actually threatened with being lynched by local vigilantes if they returned. There is a question regarding how many long-time citizens of Bisbee were deported along with the radical Communist agitators. In many cases, it was found that many were sympathetic to the IWW and were conspirators in the union's effort to disrupt life there.

By early 1918, he resigned his post as County Sheriff to join the United States Army to fight in World War One. He was promoted to the rank of Captain and soon went to Europe to fight Germans.

Also known as the First World War, or the Great War, World War One was a global war centered in Europe that began on July 28th, 1914, and lasted until November 11th, 1918. The United States declared war against Germany and mobilized a force of 4,355,000 between April of 1917 and December of 1918.

From this, in just under 20 months of fighting, American casualties amounted to 116,516 killed in action, 234,000 were wounded, and 4,500 were prisoners and missing in action. Yes, that took place in just under a year and eight months.

While Wheeler was gone doing his patriotic duty, a federal commission was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to investigate the labor disputes in Arizona. The commission concluded in its final report, issued November 6th, 1917, that "The deportation was wholly illegal and without authority in law, either State or Federal."

On May 15th, 1918, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the arrest of 21 men which included Phelps Dodge Corporate executives, Calumet, and Arizona Company executives, and several Bisbee and Cochise County elected leaders and local law enforcement officers. Those law enforcement officers arrested included Sheriff Deputies. It would have included Sheriff Harry C. Wheeler himself if he hadn't been serving in France at the time with the American Expeditionary Force during World War One. 

A pre-trial motion by the defense led to a Federal District Court releasing all of the 21 men on the grounds that "no federal laws had been violated." And even though the Justice Department appealed, the appeal was denied in United States v. Wheeler, 254 U.S. 281 (1920).

In that decision, Chief Justice Edward Douglass White ruled for an 8-to-1 majority that "no federal law protected the freedom of movement." Chief Justice White argued that "protecting a citizens' right to movement was a state function and had to be enforced solely in state court."

Wheeler resigned as Sheriff of Cochise County to enlist in the U.S. Army at the rank of Captain. Then in December of 1918, he was given an Honorable Discharge after being called back to Arizona for further court action based on the Bisbee Deportations. Once cleared, Wheeler attempted to get his old job back as he again ran for Cochise County Sheriff in 1922. But sadly, he was actually defeated in the primary.

After his defeat in the 1922 County Election, it's said that he retired and purchased a peach orchard in Cochise Stronghold about 20 miles north of Gleeson. Harry C. Wheeler was known to travel between his home in Douglas and his farm in Cochise Stronghold. He was said to have been content that he did his duty to keep those in his care as safe as he could. Knowing that, he is said to have concentrated his life on making his farm a success.

A few years passed before he contracted pneumonia and died on December 17th, 1925. Yes, he lived a full life for a man who only lived to be 50 years of age.

For me, after reading about Harry C. Wheeler, I came away seeing him as a great lawman, an outstanding Arizona Ranger, and an American patriot. I can empathize with him having to do things that may be considered controversial. I can understand walking that line to do what is needed to protect those in your care, I have been put in similar situations.

He was a straight shooter. He was a man who lived by the code that says an oath is an oath, duty is duty, right is right, and anything short of upholding your duty and sacred honor is failure. He took heat for some of the things that he needed to do. And frankly, I respect that more than anyone can possibly know.

All in all, he stood tall. Very tall while being someone who did right by the people he was tasked to protect and keep safe. Yes, he could certainly be proud of that. That was his responsibility, and he fulfilled it.

In today's world where we have elected officials who shirk their responsibilities, they can learn a great deal from Harry C. Wheeler. After all, we need more who fulfill their responsibilities and do their duty, abide by their oath, and do right by us who they are tasked to protect and serve.

That's just the way I see it.

Tom Correa


Thursday, November 19, 2015

We Are At War

By Terry McGahey

I have no idea when the majority of liberals and others are going to wake up and realize that we are seeing the true beginning of another World War. Not between countries, but with the insane cult called Islam.

Some people will say, it's not all Muslims, to this I say, if it's not all Muslims then why is it that the majority of the so called peaceful Muslims are not standing up and speaking out against their radical brothers? Why, because they believe in the teachings of Allah, and all one has to do is take time to read the Quran to get a better understanding of how this book of hatred promotes the murder of everyone who is a non Muslim.

Don't think for one minute that if the so called radical Muslims had enough power, that the so called peaceful Muslims wouldn't join them. Anyone who believes they wouldn't is a fool.

This war began with the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and other individual attacks within our country. Now the attacks include a Russian airliner and the horrific attack in Paris, France.

How about the English soldier whom they killed in the streets of London not long ago, not only that, but in the United Kingdom the Muslims commit what's called, Slash and Dash. These animals will slash their target with a knife while running past them.

How about their demands of Sharia Law within our own country? How about the town in Michigan where they have taken over by being voted into the city council, and who are now threatening people?

The list goes on and on with these animals who are invading our country, but yet this Muslim loving president will do nothing about it. In fact, he wants to bring more of them into our fold.

This president, in my opinion, is and has been giving aid and comfort to an invading enemy and should be impeached and jailed immediately before he can do any more damage to our way of life and to our country.

Isn't it odd that the very liberal Geraldo Rivera who was totally against closing off our borders has now changed his tune about this subject, and did so on a Fox news interview. Why? Because his daughter was in Paris during the attacks on that city. Funny how a situation can change peoples minds on a subject when it hits them close to home.

I say to liberals and others, get your head out of the sand and pay attention to reality, it might be one of your family members or friends in the future who's life will be taken.

One of the major problems in this country with Liberalism is that we have become a re-active country instead of a pro-active country. Maybe it is time, just maybe, that the sheriff's of counties which have small towns within their jurisdiction, begin to use our constitution to it's full capacity.

By that I am speaking of a well regulated militia as the 2nd Amendment defines. Remember, the National Guard is not the militia, the people are. The National Guard will be re-active, not pro-active should an attack take place.

The sheriff of a county, besides the coroner, is the supreme law enforcement officer of the county and has the authority to mount a well regulated militia. Of course with background checks and interviews.

All the sheriff of a county would have to do, not entirely, is to appoint an ex-law enforcement official to hold classes and training exercises with an all volunteer force of civilians to be on guard within our small towns and cities for the purpose of the public welfare.

Small towns and cities do not have a large enough police force to be pro-active against a terrorist attack, and by enacting the well regulated militia clause this would be an affordable way to shore up our small town police force in case of an attack such as what has taken place in Paris.

As for cost of training and insurance for a local militia, all that would have to be done is to lobby the people for a 3 cent tax to help offset the costs. That is all it would cost residents if the people want security, I believe they would vote in a small tax increase to do so.

Again, we are at war, and we need to be pro-active to stop the Muslim animals that have become a menace to our country, as well as the rest of the world.




Wednesday, November 18, 2015

These Muslims Are Coming To America Soon

Here's what is going on in Europe. This is what Obama wants to bring to the United States.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Obama Feels A Kinship With Islam

Open borders and Liberal immigration policies has created the Muslim invasion which we see taking place in Europe right now.

In the chaos, France has been attacked, Germany is under siege, Italy is said to be "close to collapse," Great Britain has a two tier society governed under two justice systems, rape and killing or the innocent is rampant, and the rest of Western Europe is on fire.

Paris, France was attacked on Friday, November 13th, and now the French government has declared that a state of war exists between it and Islamic terrorism. France has heightened security measures and has closed its borders out of fear of more terrorists attacks.

To fight Islamic terrorists, France is now getting direct assistance from Russia. Yes, Russia is coming to the aid of France as well as other nations, like Israel, which Obama has turned his back on. Russian president Putin is taking the fight to ISIS and Al Qaeda in a way that Obama is too unwilling to do.

And why is President Obama unwilling to take the fight to ISIS and Al Qaeda? I believe it is for all the same reasons that he is enabling Iran to build nuclear weapons and target Israel. It is because he support the expansionist desires of Islam. That in itself is the only reason that Obama has turned his back on our allies and sought to passively support Islam.

What makes me think such a thing? First, Obama and his political advisers have ruled out the use of ground forces. Obama stating that ISIS is an belief that cannot be beaten militarily and instead needs to be dealt with politically.

He believes this so much that he remarked how the Muslim terrorist attack in Paris is a setback to finding a political solution. He apparently is more concerned about how their attack would affect the political process instead of the lives that were lost.

Second, since starting the supposed air war against ISIS a year ago, there has been very little to show for a year of a supposed air campaign. The reason is simple, Obama is limiting the use of American power to point where America appears impotent facing such a threat.

In fact, there are all sorts of reports from our military commanders to the effect that the Obama White House has been limiting their missions -- as well as refusing the requests to engage the enemy. Yes, we live in an age where the Obama White House has to grant permission to engage the enemy. Because of this asinine use of military power, ISIS has steadily grown to what it is today -- a force which can reach into France and even America to launch attacks.

The third reason that I believe that Obama has supported the spread of radical Islam is Obama domestic policies toward Muslims. They include the Obama decision back in Semptember of this year to prepare to spend BILLIONS in American Taxpayer dollars to import Muslim refugees here.

Yes, according to projections from Heritage Foundation scholar Robert Rector. Extended out over the next 50 years, Obama was importing 10,000 more refugees at a cost of $130 MILLION a year and $6.5 BILLION over their lifetime.

In September, Breitbart reported that a White House spokesman said President Barack Obama would grant residence to 10,000 additional Syrians in 2016, along with the routine inflow of 70,000 refugees and 1 million new immigrants.

Republican presidential candidates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeb Bush, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), say it's the United States' duty to bring in these Muslim.

Because refugees, by law, are required to apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status one year after entering the United States, they will soon become eligible for all Federal benefits paid for by American taxpayers. Yes, those Social Security benefits that were cut from Seniors, and those Veterans Benefits that were cut from Disabled Vets, they are going to Muslims who may also be members of ISIS. Imagine that!

This $6.5 Billion expenditure to provide community services, education, health, welfare and "retirement" costs to 10,000 migrants comes in addition to the approximately $13.5 Billion in foreign aid to Middle Eastern nations that United States taxpayers sent in 2013.

Donald Trump has said that the United States' immigration policy needs to prioritize the national interests of its citizenry. He says, "From a humanitarian standpoint, I’d love to help. But we have our own problems. We have so many problems that we have to solve."

Trump explained that Muslim countries should be willing to take in some of the Muslim migrants, saying, "The Gulf states [are] tremendously wealthy. You have five groups of people, six groups, they’re not taking anybody. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, these are tremendously wealthy and powerful from the standpoint of money. They — they’re not taking anybody. Russia’s not taking. Nobody’s taking. [But we’re] supposed to take — we have to straighten out our own problems."

In complete contrast to Donald Trump, Republican career politicians Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, all of whom support expanding record high immigration rates, have announced their willingness to accept the Muslim refugees from Syria.

Obama says Americans have nothing to worry about. He says, "Our screening procedures will keep out terrorists." 

Yes, that's all wishful thinking considering experts say differently. And now, now the question becomes can the American people trust Obama not to put Americans lives at risk? Obama does not care about the Paris Muslim terrorist attacks, and he has staunchly refused to accept the fact that we are at war with radical Islam. 

Ben Rhodes, Obama's Deputy National Security Adviser said that president Obama will not stop accepting thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris. And yes, Obama is determined to bring in thousands of whether or not it is possible that those he brings here are in fact Islamic terrorists disguised as refugees like those who attacked Paris.

Let's fact the facts as stated by the FBI, the "screening process" of these Muslims will not catch terrorists coming into our country. In fact, the FBI admits that the same "screening process" can’t even keep Mexican criminals out.

After the Muslim terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday, the city was gripped in fear and recalled the horrors of the Charlie Hebdo carnage just 10 months ago. The January of this year Muslim terrorist attack by masked gunmen on the newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, left 12 people dead.

They killed the top editor, prominent cartoonists, and police officers, over a cartoon. The killers escaped, traumatizing the city and sending shock waves through Europe and beyond. President Obama down-played the Charlie Hebdo Muslim terrorist attack as being "random violence" instead of a planned attack. 

In its initial statement in response to the terrorist attack, the Obama White House condemned the attacks, but did not make any judgment calls on the content of the magazine as it had done in the past.

"I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people," Obama said in a prepared statement in January of this year.

He went on to say, "We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice."

Immediately following the Friday, November 13th, Muslim terrorist attack, Obama's statement was fairly close to his January statement, saying, "We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice."

A federal official told Fox News that the U.S. government believes that this Muslim terrorist attack was in fact a coordinated attack. Another source pointed out that these attacks took "months of planning" based on the multiple locations where the attacks were playing out.

The Department of Homeland Security put out a statement saying they are "closely monitoring" the events and that "At this time, there is no specific or credible threat to the United States." Of course, Homeland Security appears not to take ISIS threats very seriously.

And why doesn't that shock any of us, especially when Obama is not taking the attacks and the ISIS threats very seriously. I mean let's be frank here, while Obama said that the American people "stand together with the French people in the fight against terrorism and extremism" -- does anyone really believe him at all.

I mean really, how many times have we heard the same line of BS from Obama when he says, as he again said on Friday, "We're going to do whatever it takes to work with the [insert name] [etc. etc.] to bring these terrorists to justice." 

The man can't even say "Islamic Terrorist." And yes, I believe the reason that he can't say the words "Islamic Terrorist" is that his loyalty to the Muslim religion supersedes his loyalty to America.  Yes, right or wrong, that's what I believe is taking place.

Why would I say such a thing? First, his actions in not wanting to use the full capabilities of the United States military against the Islamic threat. Second, his insistence that Islam is a nation of peace while it consistently demonstrates otherwise. And third, he has demonstrating his support of our enemy by his refused to allow these attacks to change his strategy when dealing with ISIS. 

I believe that this is due to his loyalty to Islam and his naive assessment of the capabilities of ISIS. He seems to think that they are just a handful of terrorists that we shouldn't be very concerned with. And yes, he's even gone so far as to call them "JV" as in "Junior Varsity" in the past.

What Obama does not understand is that it was only a handful of terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 which resulted in the loss of over 3,000 lives. Lives of families that didn't care if their loved ones were murdered by a handful or a thousand terrorist -- the numbers accomplishing the act does not mean anything to those who've lost someone to Islamic murderers. 

Friends, President Obama has proven that he not a military tactician nor a president who listens to military tacticians. He does not know the first things about combat, he is a creature of politics. His assessment of ISIS because it does not have the troop numbers that large nations do is naive at best. He does not realize that a small well organized group of terrorists can be more effective than a large group because they can go undetected easier than a larger group. A larger group has a lot more liability of being discovered and having their plans thwarted. 

But friends, Obama does not care because he has decided that he wants more Muslims in the United States even if it means bringing them here. 

We do know that with all of the thousands upon thousands of Muslim refugees entering Europe -- that  European leaders have allowed terrorists into their countries. Liberal Policies toward open borders and increased Muslim immigration has created the problems we see in Europe today. That is what enabled the Paris attack, that and European leaders who put political ideology ahead of the security and safety of their own people. 

Yes, sounds just like Obama's policies. Obama is tenacious in his political attacks on Republicans and Conservatives which he sees as his enemies. And yes, I've heard people say that it would be a better world if Obama looked upon America's real enemies as he does Republicans and Conservatives -- or attacks the Muslim threat the same way as he has directed his administration to attack Christians, but that won't happen. 

Barack Hussein Obama would rather attack Americans than our enemies. And yes, he does this by sacrificing our security needs and safety as he brings into our country over 100,000 Syrian Muslim refugees in the next year.  

His mindset is that he is bringing in Muslim refugees, all while knowing that the terrorists who attacked Paris and killed the innocent there entered France as Muslim refugees fleeing Syria. And while it is our safety that I am more concerned about when importing such a threat, to me nothing is more traitorous than a president who is willing to sacrifice American lives and safety to satisfy his own political ideology and religious faith. 

This is why Obama does what he does in the war against Islam. This is why Obama is proving stubborn and uncompromising, almost fanatical, in his loyalty to Liberalism and as a sympathizer of the Muslim faith. 

I believe he sympathizes with radical Islam because of statements such as when Obama tried to legitimize the actions of Islamic terrorists saying, "More broadly, groups like al Qaeda and ISIL exploit the anger that festers when people feel that injustice and corruption leave them with no chance of improving their lives. The world has to offer today’s youth something better. Efforts to counter violent extremism will only succeed if citizens can address legitimate grievances through the democratic process and express themselves through strong civil societies. Those efforts must be matched by economic, educational and entrepreneurial development so people have hope for a life of dignity."

Yes, President Obama believes that ISIS jihadists, Muslim terrorist, really do have what he calls, "legitimate grievances." And that is our leader! 

Because of his screwed up sense of loyalty, he is proving to be useless as an American president and Commander-n-Chief.  You see, even though we have a very strong military, our military is worthless because we have a leader who refuses to use our military to its fullest capabilities against an enemy that he has an affinity for. 

After reading his book and knowing how he feels about his father's faith, Obama's actions should not surprise anyone. His support for Islam, the kinship he feels with Islam. His fondness for his childhood memories being raised as a Muslim are all very well recorded. It is very obvious. Whether his affinity with Islam is because that was his father's faith or because of his being raised as a Muslim, no one knows for sure. We do know that as for waging war against a Muslim threat -- he is reluctant at best. 

As for how Obama's fondness toward Islam has effected his leaderships skills, especially as a wartime president? 

Well, there is an inspirational quote on leadership that I've always remembered. It comes from my Marine Corps NCO Guidebook. It goes: "An army of deer led by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions led by a deer."

That is Obama, he is certainly a deer. Yes, I believe that is especially true when it comes to fighting Islam or providing security and safety for the American people.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa

Monday, November 16, 2015

The Chandler Ranch Gunfight

The Chandler Ranch today
When it comes to the topic of Tombstone Arizona, everyone knows of, or has at least heard of, the gunfight at the OK Corral.

That being said, I would like to speak of another gun fight that took place in 1882 that many folks have never heard of before. This gunfight was just as deadly and it took place about eight to ten miles from Tombstone between one deputy sheriff, three deputized men, and two rustlers.

The sheriff's deputy was Billy Breakenridge and the three deputized posse members were, Jack Young, E.H. Allen, and John Gillespie. The two rustlers were Zwing Hunt and Billy Grounds who also went by the alias of "Billy the Kid."

Johnny Behan, being the actual sheriff was out of town at the time so E.A. Harley was the sheriff's deputy in charge when word came that two notorious rustlers and criminals, Billy Grounds and Zwing Hunt would be in the area.

Mr. Harley dispatched the above posse members to arrest the two as he had warrants on both men. The posse left around ten o'clock that night as to be there in the early morning to make the arrests.

In the aftermath of the fight, the Tombstone Epitaph reported on the battle at the Chandler Ranch with the headline:

Desperate Fight 

At or around 6:30 the following morning a messenger arrived in Tombstone and reported to police chief Nagle that a desperate fight had taken place at the Chandler Ranch and that one man was dead and several others wounded.

Mr. Nagle then acquired an ambulance, and with Dr. Goodfellow headed to the scene. About 7:00 another messenger arrived in Tombstone with a note for deputy sheriff Harley that read, "Harley, send coroner to Jack Chandlers Ranch; one of our men is dead, Billy Grounds dying and Zwing Hunt also."

About half past 11:00 o'clock that morning police chief Nagle returned to Tombstone bringing Mr. Young, who was not seriously wounded and also brought news of what had actually taken place.

Mr. Nagle said that he arrived at the Chandler Ranch about 8:oo that morning and found deputy Gillespie dead on the ground and Zwing Hunt shot through the breast, which the ball went through and came out of his back, the wound he supposed was mortal.

Billy Grounds had been hit with a round of buckshot full in the face and upper part of his head. Life was slowly but surely ebbing away.

Mr Young had been shot through the front of the thigh, the ball entered the right side about six inches below the waistband, ranging downward across the groin area but not actually injuring the groin.

Mr. Allen had a slight flesh wound on the right side of the neck and Mr. Breakenridge had escaped with no serious damage or injury what so ever.

The Fight

The fight began when a man by the name of Lewis, a teamster who had stayed over night at the ranch, had stepped out of the door from the house followed by Hunt who commenced firing, two or three shots had been fired before Gillespie was killed, shot through the left temple. Hunt then shot at Mr. Young slightly creasing him on the right side of his neck.

Allen then returned fire and shot Hunt through the breast.

Just a few seconds later Grounds came out and Breakenridge blazed away at him and put a full load of buckshot from his shotgun into Ground's face and head which laid him out. Deputy Young was hit in the thigh with a shot from deputy Allen's gun which passed through the two board partition of the house striking him. Just in case there may have been others Mr. Allen had went around the back of the house to stop any attempt by the rustlers to escape through a door or window.

Somehow Zwing Hunt had survived his injuries and was taken to the hospital in Tombstone, where with the help of his brother Hugh, had escaped in some sort of conveyance. As it turned out, they took two horses and headed into the Dragoon Mountains where the very sick and wounded Zwing Hunt had been vomiting and could go no further. Hugh told the story that he had heard a shot and was thinking it would be a posse, but as it turned out it was apache's. He stated that Zwing hollered to him to commence firing and those would be his last words on earth for he had been shot to death.

Hugh Hunt had somehow escaped and headed to Camp Price. Once there he reported the incident to the commanding officer. Escorted by Lieutenant Clark and ten others Hugh led them back to the site of his brothers death where they interred Zwing's remains.

The fight at the Chandler Ranch was every bit as desperate as the gun fight at the OK Corral, and in the end, three men had perished from it. Zwing Hunt met his fate just a short time later, but still his death came as a result of the gunfight putting him somewhere he would not have been otherwise and in a very weakened state.

The number of men killed and wounded was very close to the number of men who had perished and been wounded in the Earp, Holliday, Clanton and McClowry battle in the empty lot next to Fly's photo gallery on Freemont street near third within the city limits of Tombstone in 1881, but this fight has went unheralded in history unlike the famous gunfight at the OK Corral.


By Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/Historian
The American Cowboy Chronicles

Terry McGahey has studied Old West history for most of his life. For many years, he lived in Tombstone where he became extremely knowledgeable about the history of that area.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

The Battlefield Cross -- An Option In The War Against Atheist

Battlefield Cross
A reader sent me an article about Atheists attacking a Veterans Memorial in the Mid-West. While I wish they would simply mind their own business and go away, sadly Atheist attacks on Christian symbols and traditions in America take place all the time these days.

While there are those in our society today who scream that they are being persecuted if they are forced to take drug tests to qualify for government benefits or have had their feeling hurt by what someone has said, the two groups that are truly under attack in America are Conservatives and Christians.

Liberals see no restraint in making appalling claims regarding Conservatives, or throwing insults at Christians and our beliefs, but they know what groups are open season and what are not.

For example, since Atheists are primarily members of the Democrat Party, these same Atheist would never take on today's politically protected Muslims and their assault on our public schools. And yes, they even protect Muslims -- all while routinely attacking Christians. Yes, though Liberals believe in nothing other than control, they're not politically stupid. 

Christians are targets in America these days, and Muslims have free rein to impose their sickness on our children in our public schools today with impunity. Yes, Muslims are exempt from punishment when it comes to imposing their religious rituals in our schools -- all while Muslims demand that our Christian greeting of "Merry Christmas" should be banned because it is offensive to them. Imagine that!

While Atheists give Muslims a pass, those same Atheists wage a constant war against Christians -- especially Christian symbols on city properties. For those cities worried about an Atheist group filing a billion dollar lawsuit over a Christian cross memorializing our fallen Veterans, here is an option. 

Friends, a bronze Battlefield Cross can be obtained as a Veteran Memorial. And yes, though just the name of this memorial is enough to make an Atheist crap himself -- it has no religious connection! 

What is a Battlefield Cross?

The Battlefield Cross, or Battle Cross, or the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, is a symbolic replacement of a Christian Cross or marker appropriate to an individual service-member's religion, on the battlefield, or at the base camp for an American serviceman or woman who has been killed in combat.

It is made up of the soldier's rifle with fixed bayonet stuck into the ground, with helmet on top and dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. The helmet and dog tags signify the fallen soldier, their name never to be forgotten. The inverted rifle with bayonet signals a time for prayer, a break in the action to pay tribute to our friend, our comrade, our brothers and sisters in arms. Their combat boots, worn and dirty, represents the final march into their last battle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the fallen.

In years gone by, it was to mark the exact spot where a soldier had fallen. The practice actually started during the American Civil War, although some say maybe earlier, as a means of identifying the bodies of the fallen on the battleground before they were removed -- if at all. Back then, other than mass graves, fallen soldiers were more than likely buried right where they lay, often by opposing forces, with crude markers being erected and sometimes replaced.

It was during the later days of the Civil War that soldiers began to be sent home for burial or buried in an area designed to be a cemetery near their battlefield. After a battle was over, people would move through the battlefield to mark the bodies which hopefully would be recovered.

Those were the days before dog tags which became a common issue later. Soldiers were known to write their names in their uniforms or stick pieces of paper with their names on them in the hats and pockets. To mark the spot of these honored dead, the most convenient marker would have been a soldier's rifle with its bayonet stuck into the ground with his hat placed on top.

During World War II, as units rapidly advanced, Soldiers and Marines would often bury the bodies of their fallen comrades in shallow graves. And yes, they used the time honored tradition of placing a rifle with bayonet fixed into the ground and a helmet on top to indicate that there lies the remains of an American fighting man. In most cases, one of the two issued dog tags would be left secured to the rifle.

Later, graves registration units would follow behind and go through and attempt to recover the remains for proper identification and burial. Over time, the image of a Battlefield Cross has come to be associated with the loss of a comrade and loved one in combat.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, there were many units erecting Battle Crosses to commemorate the loss of their comrades. Since they could not attend the funerals of their fellow soldiers, some units made a habit of paying tribute at the Battlefield Cross. It should be noted that the Battlefield Cross has now come to be used as a poignant reminder of the cost of war.

Besides the Battlefield Cross being an immediate means of showing respect for those killed in the service of our nation, it is a reminder that freedom is not free.
While the Battlefield Cross itself is not an official military honor, it is an unofficial honor of sorts as it does play a part in the memorial ceremony as a visible reminder of fallen American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. And again, while it is not officially recognized, many unit commanders have recognized the value of the memorial.

In an era when Christians are under attack even in our military, Unit Commanders are known to encourage members of their units to pay their respects to fallen comrades and sometimes hold ceremonies at the site of a Battlefield Cross memorial. And as a matter of ceremony, after a set period of time, the memorial is respectfully dismantled with the components being returned to the unit for appropriate disposition.

Among the companies that make these wonderful pieces of art which are very fitting memorials to our fallen heroes, there is a company called ICON Statues which specializes in sculptures for schools, hospitals, churches, city centers, corporations, and other businesses.

While I have seen the Battlefield Cross sculpture in the small town of Ione, California, below you will find the most inspirational Battlefield Cross that I've ever seen. To me, it captures the lost felt by a loved one and the honor given by his comrades in arms.

When I first posted this article, I did not know where this is located or who the artist was. That mystery is now solved. The artist of this incredible piece is Richard Rist of Baltimore Maryland. His company is The Large Art Company which can be found at www.LargeArt.com in his section Veteran Memorial sculptures.

God Bless this great artist for capturing such a touching moment.

And yes, that's just the way I see it.
Tom Correa

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Marine General Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis

On February 22nd, 2014,  Marine General Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis gave what may be the most motivating speech of all time.

General Mattis, who retired from his post as head of U.S. Central Command after a 41-year career, gave this speech at the Marine Corps University Foundation’s 2014 Semper Fidelis Award Dinner where he accepted the award.

In his acceptance speech, he tells why he is not accepting it for himself but more on behalf of us, his fellow Marines. 

During the speech, General Mattis summed up the Marine Corps ethos. Since today is November 10th, a day when all Marines, young and old, those on active duty and those of us who served in days gone by, celebrate the 240th Birthday of our Corps, here is what General "Mad Dog" Mattis had to say in it's entirety. 

This is for you,
Happy 240th Birthday my brothers! 

From February 22nd, 2014:

"Long time since we served together in Brigade, cruised the West Pac
Or since I drank one of your Cokes on the March up to Baghdad.
General Gray, General Conway, General Pace, General Amos, General Paxton –
Marines whose very goodness put ambition out of context.

Sergeant Major Barrett – a Marine’s Marine. 
Colonel Harvey Barnum who for so many years – 
Your valor inspired us all to be better men.
Ladies – The wonderful ladies who exemplify grace & courage
Who represent our better angels and what we fight for.

Thank all of you for coming out tonight –
A night that celebrates our Corps’ values, its legacy and its mission.

A special note of appreciation for President of the Marine Corps University Foundation,
General Tom Draude.
Valiant combat leader who brought a Vietnam Vet’s reassurance 
To us as we filed into our Desert Storm attack positions
And earned our everlasting respect & affection.
We have Ambassadors present,
Whom Marines have stood beside in foreign lands
And members of Congress and staffers,
To whom we owe our survival when short – sighted bureaucratic efforts challenged our existence,
Combined, they remind us our Corps carries more than our own hopes forward.

General Conway & General Amos spoke about this Foundation – I’ll add a few words.

Between Commandant’s Reading List and the Marine Corps University Foundation’s enriching
The education of our warrior leaders – 
I have never been bewildered for long in any fight with our enemies – 
I was Armed with Insight. 
In the worst of surprises we found our training and education had prepared us well.

I am a very average Marine  – at this podium tonight because I repeatedly was at the right place, 
At the right time to gain warfighting positions. 
I recall a Fleet Commander asking if I could bring Marines from the Mediterranean 
Together with a West Coast Marine Expeditionary Unit 
And strike 350 Nautical Miles into Afghanistan. 
I could, thanks to the Marines who went before me.

My immediate response was, “Yes”!

Thanks to our Corps’ legacy of audacity
Thanks to our Marines in 1950 who brought in KC 130 aircraft.
Thanks to our Amphibs, which our Navy-Marine-Corps Team funded.
Thanks to our Marines of the 1960 -1970s who put air refueling probes on Heavy Lift Helicopters.

Thanks to our Marines who brought in Light Armored Vehicles in 1980.
Thanks to our Recruiters who brought in High–Quality Marines.
Thanks to our Commandant who extended boot camp and toughened it.

None of this started with me – most of the thinking was done in Quantico. 
And for me – so often in the right place at the right time 
I have an enormous sense of gratitude for a Corps that gave me
Such capability when destiny called on our Corps to fight.

Images flash through my mind– and I speak from my heart: 
Of an Eighth & “I” parade in honor of John Glenn who remarked that night:

He had been a Marine for 23 years… "but not long enough."

That was from a man fought in WWII & Korea 
And was the first American to orbit the earth,

His wingman in Korea, baseball legend Ted Williams, put it well 
When asked which was best team he ever played on. 
Without hesitation he said, “The U.S. Marine Corps.”

On evenings like this most of us will remember the tragedy of losing comrades
Beautiful Marines whose rambunctious spirits gave us what F. Scott Fitzgerald called
“Riotous excursions with privileged glimpses into the human heart.”

And we remember them, everyone, who gave their lives 
So our experiment called America, could live.

And for us who live today…
We do so with a sense that each day is a bonus and a blessing.

To the Veterans who brought up the current generation of Marines 
Who imbued in us the spirit “such as Regiments hand down,”

Thank you!
You raised us well for our grim tasks!
During our apprenticeship you coached us 
And honed our skills with a sense of humor in a tough school.

And when the time came for us to stand and deliver, 
We never feared the enemy. 
We only feared we might somehow disappoint you.

But with good NCO’s the outcome was never in doubt,
And the NCO’s were superb, Sergeant Major Barrett
And all Marines, regardless of rank,
Stood shoulder –to-shoulder
Stood co-equal in our commitment to mission
Co-equal, from boot private to General
Smiling to one another, even as we entered Fallujah
Knowing the enemy could not stand against the Corps you Veterans honed.
Because every Marine, if he was in a tough spot – 
Whether a bar fight, or tonight in Helmand River Valley,
Our fellow Marines would get to us, or die trying.

So long as our Corps fields such Marines, 
America has nothing to fear from tyrants, 
Be they Fascists, Communists or Tyrants with Medieval Ideology. 

For we serve in a Corps with no institutional confusion about our purpose:
To fight!
To fight well!

As we say out West where I grew up, “We ride for the brand”, 
And hold the line until our country can again feel its unity.

From our first days at San Diego, Parris Island or Quantico, 
NCO’s bluntly explained to us that the Corps would be:

Entirely satisfied if we gave 100%
And entirely dissatisfied if we gave 99%
And those NCOs taught us the great pleasure of doing what others thought impossible.

As General Amos summed it up so well in his Marine Birthday message: 
“The iron discipline & combat excellence” of our Marines:

Marines who never let each other down, 
Never let the Corps down, 
Never let our country down…
Those are the Marines who define our Corps.

A Corps whose old-fashioned values protect a progressive country.
Marines who can do the necessary “rough work”, 
But without becoming evil by doing so, 
Despite an enemy who has opened apocalyptically the aperture for who they target,
To include even women and children.

It’s all the more important today that we hold to our precious legacy
Of ferocious, ethical combat performance.

For in a world awash in change, 
Americans need to have confidence in the everlasting character of our Marines
And to those Maniacs, the ones who thought that by hurting us on 9-11 that they could scare us,
We have proven that the descendants of Belleau Wood,
Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Chosin, Hue City & more,

We don’t scare! 

And we proved it in Fallujah & Ramadi and in the Helmand,
Where foes who had never reasoned their way into their medieval views
And could not be reasoned out – 
Found that American Marines could fight like the dickens,
And for the enemy it proved to be their longest and worst day against us.

Now from a distance I look back on what the Corps taught me:
To think like men of action,
And to act like men of thought!

To live life with intensity,
And a passion for excellence,
Without losing compassion for mistakes made,
By hi-spirited young patriots who looked past hot political rhetoric and joined the Corps – 
Which taught me to be a “coach” in General LeJeune’s style,

Summoning the best from our troops
The Father to Son, Teacher to Scholar bond bringing out the vicious harmony 
When together, we closed on the enemy.

We were taught that the strongest motivation we all have,
Whether an FA-18 pilot or a Huey door gunner,
Whether a “cannon cocker” firing a mission 
Or logistics Marine hurrying supplies forward,
The motivation that binds us is our respect for 
And commitment to a 19 year old Lance Corporal infantryman 
Upon whose young shoulders our experiment called America ultimately rests….
Now this award can never be mine –
And because we are members of the same tribe,
Every one of you knows what I will say next….

For I am grateful & humbled to be singled out with you tonight:

An average Marine who always had good fortune to repeatedly 
Be in the right place at the right time
A “limited duty officer” as Commandant of the Marine Corps Jim Jones put it – 
Who only knew what to do with me when there was a fight.
But this award is truly not made to a man, to an individual,
It is made through me
For my work with those who shouldered Rucksacks,
Work that was carried forward by our Grunts,
And I will hold it in trust for those lads whose unfailing loyalty we celebrate tonight, 
Who chose to live life fully – more than they wanted longevity. 

Even when I made mistakes they saved the day.

And I made plenty –
Like the time I got my Battalion surrounded in open dessert, with
My mortar Platoon spilling out and
Setting up 4 tubes pointing north, and 4 tubes pointing south and, 
They restored the situation…

Yes, even in a jam of my own making –
The lads’ spirit, skill and good humor carried us through when danger loomed.

So on behalf of such lads
I hold this award in trust –

For the lads who prove Hemingway was right when he said, 
“There was no one better to have beside you when the chips were down than a U.S. Marine.”

For to Marines, love of liberty is not an empty phrase… 
Rather it’s displayed by blood, sweat and tears for the fallen. 
I was humbled that our Corps allowed me to serve over four decades,
Yet as Colonel John Glenn – a fighter pilot, astronaut and Senator put it –
It wasn’t long enough –

Semper Fidelis and May God hold our lads close."

written by Marine General Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis

General Mattis will certainly go down in Marine Corps History as one of the Marine Corps' most revered Generals. And yes, besides being the warrior that he is, he proved to be a great inspiration to us all.



Happy Birthday Marines! 

Tom Correa