Watching Pete tap out in the first ten seconds would be quite entertaining.

Too many vets don’t or can’t speak, and we need their voices.

My favorite protesting pals are the folks with the beautiful back and white Veterans for Peace banner.
They have the standing. Some I have been protesting alongside for over 20 years. It and we are getting old.

That Veterans for Peace flag shows up at every rally/protest in our small Vermont village. Actually a banner plus two flags. Whenever I see one I have an inexplicable sense of calm, just knowing those vets are there.

I joined “Friends of Veterans for Peace decades ago in the state of Maine. We owe them so much.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/07/black-military-patriots-hegseth/687306/

Thanks for posting this.
When the keyboard warriors running the DOD today order the removal of the portrait of a true---almost mythological-- warrior like Gen. Donald "Chappie" James, it tells us more about the silliness and stupidity of their Administration than about Chappie James.

Among James' (the first African American four-star general in the US Armed Forces) accomplishments:
Flew 101 combat missions in Korea winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor,
Flew 78 combat mission during Vietnam, mostly over North Vietnam,
As commander of Wheelus Airforce Base in Libya in 1969, confronted the upstart rebel leader Muammar Gadhafi at the gate of the compound and ran him off with his 1911 service pistol.
Rose to the position of Commander of NORAD
Was officially promoted to the rank of four-star general in 1975.
Died in 1978 and was interred with honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

A more detailed survey of his life and accomplishments may be found in the latest book by Wil Haygood: "The War Within the War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home", Knopf 2026.

I was lucky to serve under professional soldiers including 2 regimental commanders who graduated West Point very high in their class. Strict, sometimes, but also fair, and not in it for themselves.

The short version of the dichotomy between soldiers and warriors is that Soldiers support their nation and their command structure, with the goal of completing defined missions through discipline, ability, and loyalty to the unit. Soldiers fight because they must to achieve peace and to stop the killing. Warriors fight for other reasons... they fight because fighting feeds their psychological needs. That can be interpreted as meaning warriors fight private battles for their interests, and purposes which unfortunately sometimes become a need to feed an internal appetite, maybe for personal glory, maybe for the obvious, but false,sense of power that killing and destroying things gives the warrior's narcissistic appetite.

IMO great soldiers who are historically famous for the killing and destruction they led, like say say, Sherman in the civil war and Bradley in WWII almost always expressed great sadness, and aching disappointment in what they were required to do, which was raise the costs of war and the costs that came with their decisions. They were not George Custers out to score promotion points or fame that could carry them into High Office.

The unwritten role of every military leader, from squad level to Armies and Task Forces, is to pursue the mission and bring back alive as many of the force as possible. As my NCO school lead cadre said. There is always another mission on the horizon, and you can't do the mission, whatever it is, without the people in your unit.

General Harvey Moore was a great example of a soldier's soldier. He regretted living after his unit was cut apart by North Vietnamese in a very very painful early 'draw" for Americans in Vietnam. He spent his life searching out his fallen soldiers family members to communicate his sadness and to honor what Donald Trump would call losers.

On Edit: I forgot to bring this back to Hegseth.

Hegseths war on the Pentagon, is indeed a personal mission. He doesn't think women (and many people of color) should be allowed in his creation the "Warrior Community" of the US military

makes me want to

he'd probably get his a-- kicked in my neck o the woods. And not because of his appearance, but because he'd probably shoot off his mouth and say the wrong thing to the wrong one.