Apply the lessons of WWII to defend our nation - externally and domestically - on V-J Day, Fleet Week, & Sept.11th

Japanese leaders believed they could conquer America, but
Americans hung together to defeat their external enemy

"High Castle" portrays Imperial Japan and Germany's goal
of conquering American society under their tyrannical rule

At occasions for active-duty, veterans, and the L.A. public, we are shown that we can defend ourselves against external military enemies. But what about our own house turning against itself (liberal vs republican)? As author Philip K. Dick depicted in his book, "The Man in the High Castle" (adapted in 2015 for an Amazon TV series) Japan would have extended its Asian empire by conquering America had we not defeated them in World War II. Japan's unconditional surrender came as a result of American bomber planes dropping the atomic bombs which (bomb-race winner) America rolled-out before Germany could - above the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

FILE -- Thousands of people celebrate VJ Day on New York's Times Square August 14, 1945 after Japanese radio reported acceptance of the Potsdam declaration.  (AP Photo)

The Heritage Foundation's Ms. Kay Coles James wrote an opinion published in Fox News, Sept 2, 2018 entitled, "The end of World War II 73 years ago, offers us an incredible lesson today." 

"Sunday, Sept 2nd marked the 73rd anniversary of V-J Day – Victory over Japan, when World War II ended on Sept. 2, 1945 with Japan’s surrender to the United States in a ceremony about the battleship USS Missouri. It followed V-E Day – Victory in Europe – on May 8 that same year, when the Allies accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany.

If you’ve ever watched the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” you may recognize these lines from the scene where an angel recounts George Bailey’s actions at the end of World War II:  “Like everybody else, on V-E Day, he wept and prayed. On V-J Day, he wept and prayed again.” 

When the movie was first released in 1946, audiences got the reference right away. They had just lived through that long and bloody clash of arms. They knew full well why people wept and prayed on the day when the war in Europe ended, and again when our hostilities with Japan came to a close. 

But 73 years later, it’s a different story. At a time when many aren’t even sure what “V-E” and “V-J” stand for, their significance seems to have faded from memory. 

Perhaps that’s because the images of a war’s end aren’t as stark as those that mark its beginning. Americans, after all, were jolted into the conflict by the horrific events and footage of Dec. 7, 1941, as Japanese fighter planes attacked U.S. ships docked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. 

Japanese envoys Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu signed their names on the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

The scene on Sept. 2, 1945 was much quieter. And yet what was being communicated – that the United States would be magnanimous in victory and not pursue a vindictive peace – spoke volumes. Such a stance is a proud fixture of American history.    . . .

An open-hands, open-hearts approach can work at home as well as abroad. In a time of rising incivility and escalating rhetoric, Americans would do well to follow Lincoln and MacArthur’s examples. To seek more peaceful ways to express our differences of opinion. Not to “repay evil with evil or insult with insult,” but to offer our blessings instead.

As the proud generations before us demonstrated, it’s never easy. But it very often is the right – and the smartest –thing to do.  And it’s what puts the “victory” in Victory Day."

Read the full essay on Fox News 

The ship of the Japanese surrender, the USS Missouri, was accompanied just miles away by the battleship USS Iowa which handled the US Navy's communication needs. 

Veterans' volunteer, Bob Donovan, resident of L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, helps organize the "Wings over Wendy's" fraternal group of airmen with a number of members (male and female) who served in WWII in the Pacific and European theaters of operation.

Bob Donovan intros S.F. Valley columnist, Dennis McCarthy

At Wings of Wendy's 16th anniversary luncheon of McCarthy's article, watch and listen to the story of how a L.A. Daily News columnist, Dennis McCarthy spurred the Wings over Wendy's expansion to over 300 members. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) bestows journalist McCarthy a civic commendation and presents him with a flag which flew over the U.S. Capitol Building.

On Labor Day weekend, the Port of L.A. hosted L.A. Fleet Week. Fleet week is an opportunity for the American public to meet their Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard teams and experience America’s sea services. During Fleet Week, service members participate in various community service events, showcase capabilities and equipment to the community, and enjoy the hospitality of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. 

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG105) is docked at the Port of Los Angeles.  

L.A. Fleet Week 2018 year attracted ships and crews from from the US Navy stationed in San Diego and the Canadian Navy from British Columbia, Canada. 

Mike Getscher EVP and CEO of the Pacific Battleship Center, which operates Battleship Iowa Museum, talks about the educational interest which the museum serves - especially during Fleet Week - which draws visitors of all ages to tour the moored ships.




Escorted tours were available on the USS Scout (a mine countermeasures ship), the USS Dewey (a guided-missile destroyer), the Independence-variant, Littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14), the "Alert" a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, and the HMCS Ottawa (a frigate from the Royal Canadian Navy). Servicemembers also toured on the USS Iowa Museum, as did veterans - who are given special recognition when they board, Mr. Getscher informed us.

LT Roy Chong from Honolulu, Hawaii, assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 (LCSRON 1) answers questions during Los Angeles Fleet Week (LAFW).  (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Janine F. Jones)

The Beach Boys, led by original member Mike Love, entertained servicemembers and the public in a concert along the waterfront.

Beach Boys' vocalist Mike Love (originally of Hawthorne, L.A. County) is accompanied by local L.A. actor John Stamos (of Cypress, L.A. County) who sang and played guitar and drums in the band's concert at Fleet Week

Dems' dirty path to prevent South Florida "draining their swamp"

If Floridians object to gators attacking people from swamps, should they be voting to "drain their swamp" in Washington?

"Debbie Wasserman Schultz Declared Most Unethical Politician"- by Thomas A. Hawk, The Independent Voter Network, Dec. 20, 2017

Keeping staffers under criminal investigation employed and rigging a primary election process to the favor of the party-anointed candidate is certainly enough to make the list of “worst ethics violators.” 

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) released its list of “top 5 ethics violators of 2017.” At the top of the list (second only to the unnamed members of Congress linked to the fresher- and ongoing- sexual harassment scandal) is US Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

Imran Awan: The biggest scandal you've never heard of? Why mainstream media has been accused of ignoring the arrest of DNC staffer Imran Awan. ABC News Australia 9/1/17



DOJ agreees not to prosecute Imran Awan for House cybersecurity and theft, but questions remain

In September 2016, the House Office of Inspector General gave House leaders a presentation that alleged that Alvi, Imran, brothers Abid Awan and Jamal Awan, and a friend were logging into the servers of members who had previously fired him and funneling data off the network. It said evidence “suggests steps are being taken to conceal their activity” and that their behavior mirrored a “classic method for insiders to exfiltrate data from an organization.” 

Server logs show, it said, that Awan family members made “unauthorized access” to congressional servers in violation of House rules by logging into the servers of members who they didn’t work for.

The presentation especially found problems on one server, that of the House Democratic Caucus, an entity chaired at the time by then-Rep. Xavier Becerra of California. 

On Feb. 3, 2017, Paul Irving, the House’s top law enforcement officer, wrote in a letter to the Committee on House Administration that soon after it became evidence, the server went “missing.” 

The letter continued: “Based upon the evidence gathered to this point, we have concluded the employees are an ongoing and serious risk to the House of Representatives, possibly threatening the integrity of our information systems.” 

Imran, Abid, Jamal, Alvi and a friend were banned from the House network the same day Kiko sent the letter.
. . .
Imran wasn’t arrested until July 2017, when he tried to leave the country and was taken into custody at Dulles airport. His lawyer is Chris Gowen, a former aide to Hillary Clinton.  

Wasserman Schultz kept paying Awan after he was banned from Congress. A Capitol Police report shows that in April 2016, Imran left a laptop with the username RepDWS in a Capitol Hill phone booth late at night, and it was taken by police. 

Police said they needed it as evidence, but Wasserman Schultz pledged “consequences” for the police chief. Wasserman Schultz’ brother, a prosecutor in the D.C. US Attorney’s office, has tweeted about the case under the handle “fedpros.” 

Gowen said he felt “very strongly” that the RepDWS laptop should not be examined, and prosecutors never publicly challenged that request. 

No one else connected to Imran that was banned from the House has been charged, yet the House has not re-instated them. Imran, Hina, Abid and Jamal have also shared IT duties with Haseeb Rana, former McDonalds worker Rao Abbas and Nataliia Sova, a Ukrainian who is married to Abid. 

House officials told TheDCNF that the vast majority of evidence about misconduct allegations on Capitol Hill — including $120,000 in missing equipment from the office of Yvette Clarke — is actually against Abid, not Imran. 

Capitol Hill officials involved in oversight of the case previously told TheDCNF that the reason the DOJ was not pursuing the case was because the Democrats were refusing to press charges.

What did Imran Awan have on Democrats that Debbie Wasserman Schultz fought so to pay and protect him?

"Justice Department covers up possible spy ring scandal in Democratic congressional offices" - Opinion by Frank Miniter, Fox News, July 3, 2018. Video with Daily Caller's Investigative Reporter Luke Rosiak

In an incredible sweetheart plea deal, Imran Awan – a former IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and other congressional Democrats – pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of making a false statement on a home equity loan.

Shockingly, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a news release about Awan’s plea agreement that made no mention of his IT work for Democrats in Congress, no mention of Wasserman Schultz, and made his case sound like a minor local criminal matter of little interest to anyone. It was headlined: “Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement on Application for Home Equity Loan.”Ho-hum, right? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. 

Even on the simple theft of government equipment there is a lot there for prosecutors. One of Awan’s former tenants, a retired U.S. Marine, even found and turned over to authorities several computers and smart phones with government markings on them that he found in Awan’s rental property. 

There is also internal U.S. House of Representatives’ paperwork detailing some of what went on in the offices Awan and his associates who did contract IT work for congressional Democrats. 

Internal House Inspector General findings have also determined that Awan copied the emails of up to 44 Democratic House members and other personal data and backed them up to a server that reportedly went missing and to a Dropbox account. 

Awan, his wife and other relatives and friends were also all paid exorbitant salaries for working as IT contractors for members of Congress for years – even though many of them didn’t have any expertise in IT and even though they didn’t undergo background checks. 

It is also likely that a few of Awan’s associates didn't even show up to earn all the money they were paid. Still, no charges have been filed against Awan or his brothers relating to alleged thefts, possible espionage and for providing false information (an image of the Democratic House Caucus computer server) to Capitol Police.

It is actually very hard to sum-up all that this group of IT aides (who are almost all from Pakistan) did and the crimes they might have committed. 

Writing a book on the topic was like piecing together an international spy thriller filled with anonymous sources, encrypted conversations, off-the-record meetings, foreign documents and hard facts from various court filings and from internal investigations in the House. 

What is clear to me, after interviewing so many people, is there is a lot of evidence here for investigators, but also a lot of political reasons why they might want this case to go away. 

Awan was even Wasserman Schultz’s IT aide when she headed the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which incidentally was when the DNC was hacked and the information given to Wikileaks. 

I have no evidence that Awan was in any way responsible for the leak. Still, it is incredible how much of all this interconnects circumstantially. 

Real court scenes (when Awan pleaded guilty and waved his right to a trial by jury), possible depositions of House staffers and members of Congress, and the investigations that would take place if the Justice Department pursued additional charges would have necessarily dug into a lot of things the Washington establishment would rather not deal with publicly. It also would have forced investigators to follow the trail to Pakistan. 

Still, I didn’t think these investigating agencies would be brazen enough to agree to this kind of a sweetheart deal for Imran Awan and wife, Hina Alvi.  Now Awan will not face prosecution where the more serious allegations against him can be judged.

Sentencing in House Democratic IT scandal lets Imran Awan off with only a slap on the wrist

What’s the big deal?

1. Outside of the quaint idea that justice should be equal – even for members of Congress, their staffers and contractors – there are a lot of problems inherent in covering up this multifaceted case.
   
2. Foreign intelligence agencies must have noticed how easy it was for the Awans to get access to the date and emails of so many members of Congress.
   
3. The slap on the wrist that Awan received hardly acts as a deterrent to those who’d like to know what members of Congress are saying behind closed doors.
   
4. As any computer security professional will tell you, the weakest part of any system is people. Security won’t be taken seriously if no one pays a price for allowing massive security breaches in Congress.
   
5. President Trump’s tweets related to this case were even used as a rationale by Judge Chutkan to let Awan walk out of the courtroom with only three months supervised release.
   
6. If there is one takeaway right now it’s that the Trump administration should demand an investigation by the Office of Inspector General into how this plea deal was made. The IG should also look into what actually happened in Congress. This case offers the president the opportunity to expose the swamp to the American people.
   
   By covering this up, the establishment has left a lot to come out that will embarrass Congress, the mainstream media and the Justice Department.

"Bolton, Netanyahu Call For 'Greater Pressure' On Iran"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) shakes hands with U.S.
national-security adviser John Bolton during their meeting at
the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on August 20. (Reuters)

(Aug. 20)  Meeting in Jerusalem, White House national-security adviser John Bolton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have called on European countries to increase pressure on Iran.

Bolton told Netanyahu on August 20 that the United States saw the "highest importance" in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and that's why President Donald Trump withdrew from the "wretched" nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

"It's why we've worked with our friends in Europe to convince them of the need to take stronger steps against the Iranian nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile program," Trump's national-security adviser added.

Trump and Netanyahu have been closely aligned on their approach to Iran since the U.S. president took office in January 2017.

Trump has consistently looked to increase pressure on Tehran to bring about what his administration has called a "change in behavior" regarding its weapons programs and its "destabilizing" activities in the region, accusations Iran denies.

In May, Trump pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with six world powers and has reimposed sanctions that had been eased as terms of the accord.

Calling the agreement "disastrous," Netanyahu said that "all countries who care about peace and security in the Middle East should follow America's lead and ratchet up the pressure on Iran," in what was considered a veiled reference to European countries.

"The greater the pressure on Iran, the greater the chance that the regime will roll back its aggression," he added. "And everybody should join this effort."

European analyst reveals Europe's love/ hate relationship with America - Jean Patrick Grumberg

European Commission Pres. Jean-Claude Juncker negotiated
tariffs with US Pres. Donald Trump 

When Pres. Donald Trump asked N.A.T.O. leaders in Europe to bear a fairer share of the cost of America providing them military protection, why did they balk so? Why was it reported so negatively? Why did American mainstream-media cast such a negative spin on Pres. Trump's attempts to renegotiate international tariff's towards America's favor? 

Jean Patrick Grumberg in Los Angeles

French-expatriate critic, Jean Patrick Grumberg, interprets Europe's love-hate relationship with America which began long-before the Trump administration. He believes that liberal news outlets won't report it accurately, despite it being in Americans' best interest. And the liberal bias is so great in Europe (where Associated Press and Reuters base their European reportage to America) that they won't fairly report issues related to Iran's interest in Islamic terror via immigrants.

While Mr. Trump pursues denuclearization via regime-change in Iran, Mr. Grumberg discusses European politicians' revealed and secret financial motivations, over the safety of the planet.

At Milken Global Conference, Military Leadership Circle advances receiving skilled, military veterans into private sector

Active-duty service members from Milken Institute's Military Leadership Circle (prominent veterans who have successfully transitioned into the workplace, and executives from companies that firmly support veterans' reintegration) held a breakfast presentation at the Milken Global Conference, where some of the most knowledgeable people in economics, government, finance, and philanthropy convene annually. The Leadership Circle works to help veterans as they facilitate economic growth in their communities. The speakers also shared leadership lessons from the private sector that military personnel can apply to their jobs in the armed services. 

Military Leadership Circle's founder, Naval Lt Commander Matt Driskill (Pawtuxet River Naval Air Station in Maryland) discussed at a military-leadership breakfast, organizations helping veterans transition into the civilian workforce. 

U.S. Army Major Kelly McCoy (JointBase Langley-Eustis, Virginia) joined him in this interview with Democracy Broadcasting News. Transcription follows video:

Leftist leaders drag L.A. Gay Pride Parade into anti-Trump ResistMarch; Resisting everything (except Muslim homophobia)

The Los Angeles pride parade was renamed the ResistMarch, and tens of thousands turned out, some carrying rainbow flags or signs reading ‘‘Love Trumps Hate’’ through Hollywood on Sunday 10 June. Speakers included US representatives Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and Maxine Waters.  Associated Press June 11, 2017

Since Hillary Clinton's electoral defeat, the Democratic and liberal/left parties have agitated to turn public support against the presidency of Donald J. Trump. Soros-funded, Alinsky communist agitators, Workers World Party (who also protested Mr. Trump's inauguration) consumed the traditional (LGBT) Pride Marches under the brand of RefuseFascism.Org - led #ResistMarches in various cities.
William F. Jasper wrote in The New American: N.Y. Times Aids Communist-socialist-feminist-LGBT-anarchist Plans for Inauguration Day Mayhem" Jan 6, 2017

Who is behind WeResistTrump? The group’s website lists a single “organizer”: the Workers World Party (WWP). And who is the WWP? Not exactly a household name, the WWP is a small, hardcore communist party that has gained enormous influence over the past two decades by creating front group coalitions that exploit hot-button issues guaranteed to rile up the most combustible Clinton-Obama Democrats: open borders, LGBTQ issues, anti-war, “racial injustice,” anti-police, “social justice,” global warming, etc. The biggest coalition launched by the WWP comrades is ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), which has been a key leader of many aggressive (and often violent) demonstrations from the Iraq War protests to Occupy Wall Street occupations to pro-immigration (i.e., pro-illegal alien, pro-amnesty, anti-deportation) rallies to climate-change sit-ins.

Even when various events downplay (or omit altogether) the organizing leadership of WWP/ANSWER, their handprint is evident by the mere fact that a sea of black and yellow (the WWP color scheme) placards dominate the event. Here’s another “clue” for the clueless reporters of the establishment media: Those black and yellow signs invariably have “ANSWER” and “www.answercoalition.org” printed on them somewhere that is plainly visible. It’s really not that difficult; even a Journalism 101 student should be able to follow the trail.

CA Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff  (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

Rep. Adam Schiff (D- L.A.) elucidates issues motivating Resist March'ers at LA Pride weekend

The new march in L.A. is commonly referred to as the "anti-Trump March." Rep. Adam Schiff shares some of the issues he believes that the L.A. Pride organizers are offering an outlet to address in replacing the traditional Pride Parade this year with a social-political "Resist March."




America Ferrera opposes nationalism (conservatism) at L.A. Resist March

America Ferrara promotes liberal immigration policies and stridently talks "love" over her anger towards Trump and people who don't hate Pres. Trump. Even LGBTQ are sanctioned as separate, out-of-step and loathed at this left-ized rally at the Resist March outside the LA Pride Fest in West Hollywood, California.

Gay Latinos at LA Pride deny Orlando Pulse professed jihadist's motive

Drummed-up by the anti-Trump "Resist March" gay Latinos antagonize Log Cabin Republicans' Pulse Foundation Memorial to victims of professed Islamist, Omar Mateen. They deny Islamic homophobia and Mateen's confessing devotion to ISIS.

Reactions to L.A. GOP's Pulse massacre memorial from liberals and conservatives

Rob the Realtor mans the (Orlando) Pulse Foundation signature wall at the LA Pride Parade in the aftermath of the first anti-Trump, Resist March. While LGBT activism professes pursuit of tolerance for all, for some people, it seemed to end at the Log Cabin Republicans booth.

ResistMarch drags trannys, LGBT towards far-leftist globalism, LGBT GOP's worry

Log Cabin Republican leader, Nestor Moto, Jr. reacts to West Hollywood Mayor and Christopher St. West dragging the traditionally inclusive LGBTQ L.A. Pride Parade towards a far-Leftist revolutionary "Resist March" stirring hysterics, fear, and social-division against Americans not in step with their agenda. Tyrannical subversives, like A.N.S.W.E.R. and Black Lives Matter were elevated and legitimized in the March and Rally. Mr. Moto says they seek to resume failed, liberal policies like open-borders and weakness against gay-hating Jihadism.

WeHo resident, Chris, proposes 2 theories to why WeHo Mayor Lauren Meister and Christopher St. West staff are subordinating their annual, "LA Pride "Parade into the Marxist, "Resist!March."