Oath Keepers

Please Go to Our New Site - This is Our Older Site, Which is Now an Archive

2009-10-20T02:42:00.001-07:00

Go to Our New Site At:

www.oathkeepers.org

(this site is now an archive)

New Site input

2009-07-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Folks,

Please give me your input on how to improve the new Oath Keepers main site at www.oathkeepers.org. Constructive criticism is most welcome, so if there is something you don't like, say so - but also tell us how to make it better.

When Drew and I designed the site, my model was Pat Dollard's blog:

http://patdollard.com/

Drew wasn't able to set our up exactly the same, but close.

I'm not completely satisfied with how it turned out, so please go look at Dollard's site, look at ours, and give us your constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Thanks a ton,

Stewart

National Guardsman Stands Behind His Oath

2009-07-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

My name is Christopher Davis I'm a former Arizona Army National Guardsman. I never served in combat and felt badly about that for a long time. But now I look at the Big Picture of global politics and feel more strongly then ever that I am lucky. What the duties of a soldier in combat are have never been blurrier. I feel our men are being exploited and no one is doing anything about it.

I grew up a few hours from Kent State University in Ohio, and we all know what happened there. I feel our leaders know no limits and the potential for that happening again has never been higher. Though my NCO's were clear on the line between moral and immoral orders and the soldiers individual responsibility, no formal training existed for guardsman, who will be the first called to RESTORE ORDER, and that scares the hell out of me now.

The Constitution belongs to the people (no matter how they alter it) and the Oath is the only protection it has. I thank the Oath Keepers for providing the backbone necessary for Our Leaders to see there are limits, and using military force to keep their power is never an option.

THANK YOU Stewart for allowing me the opportunity to stand behind My Oath in a manner that is morally acceptable to me, and once again protect my family and my country from those that would do it great harm.

Sincere and faithful service,

Christoper Davis

Active Duty Soldier Speaks Up

2009-07-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

I intend on following your organization closely while I am in Afghanistan. I want to see it grow and reflect that our military and law enforcement are heavily made up of patriots, not mercenaries, and who fundamentally understand that what is ours already is not the government's or anyone else's to give us.

I am the first generation son of a legal Filipino immigrant who cannot understand what these elites in our 2-party system are doing to our country. I have also been an Infantryman since 2004, trained to be what enforces US foreign policy however we are able to.

I take it personally when I see Americans being mistreated and robbed of their own property rights and responsibilities.

Ray

RIP SGT Brennan Gibson. KIA 10DEC2006.

Be Sure to Use the New Site at Oathkeepers.org

2009-07-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

www.oathkeepers.org

All,

Be sure to visit and comment on the testimonials at our new site, www.oathkeepers.org which will soon replace this blog.

All new testimonials, video, and articles will be posted at the new site. (we have some cool videos from July 4 events posted there!).

For the next week or so we will continue to post some duplicate posts here since so many folks are used to coming here, but after that transition period all new posts will be on the new site only and this blog will be retained as an archive, directing all visitors to the new site.

But please post your comments at the new site rather than here.

www.oathkeepers.org

Merchant Seaman Defending What Is Rightfully Ours

2009-07-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am well over 80 years old, A Merchant Seaman of WW2. Ive seen torpedos, gun fire, storms, etc. My Dad was a Purpel Heart Vet. of WW1. My brother was in Korea. Through it all Ive always been proud of My country. Now I dont like our Govt. getting Nazi Hitler ideas. As old as I am, I am VERY CAPABLE of defending what is rightfully ours. God Bless America!

EWW

USAF Veteran Testimonial

2009-07-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am a veteran of the U.S. Air Force 79'-83'. I felt it my duty to serve my country and proud that I did. I took my oath very serious then and that oath never expired. I will defend the honor of my family who has fought in every war from the Revolution through Vietnam. We must not forget those 96,000 men who died in Korea and Vietnam fighting against the very ideology that now prevails in Washington. May their sacrifices not be in vain.

Joel Menges

Former U.S. Army Infantryman Never Forgot The Oath

2009-07-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

Stewart and all my fellow Oath Keepers,
My name is David Helms and I am a former U.S. Army Infantryman. As with all of the rest of you, I swore an oath to defend the constitution and have never forgotten that oath nor failed to do my best in it's defense. I will continue to do so as long as I draw breath.
I will be reading an Oath Keeper letter at the Fayetteville, Arkansas Tea Party on Independence Day.
Thank you Stewart for all the hard work you do, I know it can be overwhelming. Thank you also to all of you who make Oath Keepers what it is and, more importantly, what I know it will become...a bulwark against tyranny.
David Helms

First Oath Never Expired

2009-07-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

I Enlisted in the USMC on my birthday in 1962 (RVN 65-66), I have also served in the US Army and am a retired peace officer. I have taken the oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States many times, but as the first one doesn't expire the rest were just to satisfy form. I will continue to protect and defend the Constitution, whatever it takes, until I stop breathing, and may God bless our cause. Semper Fi

OFFICIAL OATH KEEPERS SPEECHES THAT JULY 4 TEA PARTY EVENTS CAN USE

2009-07-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Below are two Oath Keepers Speeches that can be used by any public July 4 Tea Party event and read by any veteran, current or former police officer, or active duty military. The first one is long. The second speech is very short. Use whichever best suits your event. Both include an Oath Ceremony so the entire audience can take the oath.

To get a sense for what that is like, watch this video of the oath ceremony from the April 15 Knoxville Tea Party, where 3,000 people stood and took the oath:

NOTE: Oath Keepers grants permission for public July 4, 2009 Tea Party type events to use these speeches and have a local veteran or police officer read the speech and administer the oath. We do NOT grant permission for any other type organization or events to use these speeches unless and until they contact Oath Keepers at oathkeepersok@gmail.com and secure permission. In particular, your event must be open to all, regardless of race, nationality, or religion.

SPEECH #1

The following speech has been adapted from a speech written by Houston, Texas Police Officer John Shirley, who serves as the Texas peace officer liaison for Oath Keepers. With officer Shirley’s consent, the Founder of Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, has provided this speech to dozens of Tea Parties across the nation, who will all be conducting Oath Ceremonies for Independence Day. (Might be a good idea for the MC to state the above and then introduce the police officer/veteran, etc. who is giving it).

[NOTE: Please feel free to shorten as needed. See also the very short speech below].

SPEAKER: I want to thank the Tea Party Organizers for inviting me to speak to you on behalf of Oath Keepers. It’s a humbling honor to be a part of such a great and laudable gathering of Americans taking on this grand intellectual revolution.

My name is _____________ and I am a __________ (veteran ,peace officer ect.). I served in ____________ . And I am an Oath Keeper. Before I explain what the Oath Keeper Organization is all about, I’d like to first speak on the nature of Oaths in general.

Webster’s Dictionary defines an Oath as a solemn, usually formal, calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says. It also defines it as a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one's words.

Put simply, an Oath is a person’s formal promise to actually do what they say they’re going to do….

Generally speaking, we use oaths when calling upon someone to fulfill an important purpose or to take on responsibility not normally required of every person.

I took an Oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.

Our respected military service members all took an Oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

While many political offices require a similar Oath, among public servants only military and Police Officers have the training and means to truly fulfill the Oath…. But more importantly, we are the only ones not beholden to a political party or candidate. We are only beholden to the Constitution and to the People we serve. We are the true Guardians of the Republic!

To that end, Oath Keepers exists to remind current and veteran Police Officers and military service members of their Oath to the U.S. Constitution, and the restrictions the Constitution places on the power and scope of governmental interference into the lives of its citizens. You can go to www.oathkeepers.org to learn more and to join Oath Keepers if you want. Even if you are not current or former military, you can join up as an honorary Oath Keeper and help spread the message.

As a member of Oath Keepers, I pledge to be faithful to my Oath, and to that end and in that vein of belief, we pledge NOT to do any of the following 10 things listed in the Oath Keepers Declaration of Orders We Will NOT Obey:

We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people.

We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people.

We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to military tribunal.

We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state.

We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.

We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control.”

We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies.

We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

You can read the full version of the above declaration, with explanations for each point, on the Oathkeepers.org website. While this list is not all encompassing, it lays out the types of government abuses that we see on the horizon and ones we will not tolerate nor enforce.

I want to take a minute and speak with you about things that are going on around us that aren’t receiving coverage and things we the people need to be aware of….

Number One…. Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act…. Although the Federal Government didn’t begin violating this law there, the events surrounding the Hurricane Katrina Aftermath are an egregious example of an out of control government. For months, US military troops (as well as armed government contractors), patrolled the streets of New Orleans and surrounding areas…. This is a direct violation of the law… They also took part in mass gun confiscations, including door to door searches for weapons in parts of the city that were not flooded. A natural disaster is NOT a legal reason to deny citizens of their 2^nd Amendment Rights….. Nobody has a problem with the military rescuing people from their rooftops, but its another thing entirely for them to be running armed patrols around a city. This is a job for the local and state police.

Another disturbing trend is the ongoing Urban Warfare drills going on around the country, where US troops and sometimes foreign troops will “occupy” small US cities for several days of training. We are told by press releases that these drills are to “prepare the troops for the jobs they will do overseas”, but I take issue with that reasoning. The streets of Fallujah have absolutely NOTHING in common with Main Street USA….. and the military already has mock cities and towns to train in. The only logical reason to train going door-to-door in Middle-America, practicing disarming people, is for the troops one day to do EXACTLY that, right here!

The purpose for our Armed Forces is to project force SOMEWHERE ELSE, against foreign enemies! From the days of ancient Rome, it was against the law for Caesar to march the military under color of flag across the Rubicon River… and when that rule was broken, the Roman Republic was history – Ceasar made himself emperor and Rome was ruled by Emperors from then on. We must NOT let these drills continue! How do we put the military back on track? Since most of the military is under direct Federal Control, it starts with congress…. We must elect our representatives based upon their belief in the US Constitution, as it was WRITTEN… Not based upon some phony party affiliation, or the false left versus right paradigm.

For fixing the National Guard, we encourage electing state representatives and governors that will demand the sovereignty of that State’s Guard units from the Federal Government. A little known fact is that although the National Guard of a state can be deployed by the Governor of that State, the Federal Government owns most, if not all, of the equipment they have (including weapons and vehicles)… Therefore, without the permission of the Federal Government, the state guard can’t deploy. We must demand the COMPLETE sovereignty of the State Guard from direct Federal Government control.

Number Two….. We must fight to keep our local police LOCAL… For decades, the Federal Government has gotten local politicians addicted to Federal money and now they basically control how local police departments are run. Any police chief or Sheriff who dares not follow the federal agenda risks losing millions of dollars…. In the end, the federal government doesn’t have to pass laws to militarize the police, they only have to threaten to stop the flow of grant money.

On a related note, it is our belief that the Federal Government wants to make all police into Federal Law Enforcement Officers…. This is happening through standardized training, standardized policy manuals, even standardized police identification cards. While accomplishing this is a tall order, even for the Federal Government, the handwriting is on the wall….. As the US economy suffers from the plundering by the Federal Reserve System, many large cities are quietly whispering of going into bankruptcy and how they are going to need a Federal bailout….. Mark my words…. Along with Federal Money, comes increased Federal Control…. And this takeover will be wrapped in threats of laying-off police officers and anarchy on the streets. They always use fear to obtain their goals, and this time will be no different.

What can you do, as citizens, to stop this? It may sound cliché, but its as simple as the old saying, “Support Your Local Police”

Encourage your Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to get out of the Federal Lunch Line….. Send them copies of Sheriff Mack’s Book, The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope. Encourage your Commissioner’s Court and City Councils to return their police departments to their original intent, which is being Peace Officers…. It is the transformation of the police officer from one of being a peace officer to one of law enforcement officer that has engendered a god complex in a select few, and an “us versus them” mentality in most.

We must return our police to being IN the community, not OVER the community…. Officers need to be reminded that Community Policing is not new, it’s actually what being a peace officer was all about 100 years ago…. In the name of efficiency and response times, officers no longer know the people or businesses they serve. They are discouraged from getting out of their cars and meeting business owners, citizens, or pastors, in the name of “productivity”…

I encourage citizens to get to know their local police officers by name….. Invite your officer’s to a block party…. Have them over for coffee… Let them know that you appreciate the hard job they have. The more that local officers feel like they’re a PART of the community and not only there to “take out the garbage”, the less likely they are get the “bunker mentality”.

These men and women are the real last official line of defense between you and tyranny…. Because it doesn’t matter how many laws come out of the State Capitol or Washington D.C. What matters are the public servants that are out in the community choosing whether to serve the government or serve the people.

Lastly, once you have that relationship built, encourage them to join Oath Keepers….

I know there must be a lot of you out there that are either current or retired military and police….

I would ask all current or retired military to raise their hands….

I would also ask all current or retired police officers to raise their hands….

Now, I would ask everyone else to shake their hands or pat them on the back and thank them for protecting the Constitution… Because at the end of the day, that is what these men and women do….. They are the real protectors of the Constitution… The real protectors of our rights….. Its these men and women that separate us from tyranny.

Thank all of you for your service to the people and the Constitution.

It has become an Oath Keepers tradition (albeit short lived), for whenever we speak to a group, we administer n Oath to the Constitution….. And we encourage everyone here to join and take it along with military men and peace officers who wish to renew their oaths. When the chips are down (and people, right now the chips are down….) we are ALL protectors of the Constitution.

If you are compelled to take the oath, please stand and repeat after me:

OATH KEEPERS OATH:

I, ___________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support

and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all

enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the

same, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or

purpose of evasion, pledging my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor. So

help me, God.

Now all we ask is for you to be true to your oath, and spread the word…. For more information I encourage everyone to visit www.oathkeepers.org. There you will see testimonials from officers around the country and soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coasties and Fire - Fighters who share their commitment to YOU and the CONSTITUTION.

Thank you for your attention and God Bless America.

SPEECH #2

HERE IS A MUCH SHORTER SPEECH YOU CAN USE IF YOU HAVE LIMITED TIME – Written by former Army Ranger, David Helms:

Oath Keepers

Thanks to _____________________ for allowing me to speak and thanks to all of you who came out today. My name is ________________________ and I am an Oath Keeper. Before I explain what an Oath Keeper is I have a few questions: Do we have any active duty service members here? Any veterans? Any current or former law enforcement personnel? Do we have any patriots? Very good, I want to thank you all for your service.

____________________, when I was inducted into __________________________I took an oath. This is how that oath read:

“I, _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.” (or whatever version of the oath you took).

Now let me explain what I meant when I said I was an Oath Keeper. Oath Keepers is an organization founded by former Army paratrooper and Yale-educated attorney, Stewart Rhodes. Its membership is comprised of active duty service members, veterans, law enforcement personnel, and fire-fighters who will honor their oaths to defend the Constitution, who will not just follow orders, who will stand for liberty, and who will save the Republic, so help us God. Our motto is: “Not on our watch!”

Oath Keepers is a non-partisan organization. Its purpose is to remind those of us who have taken the oath of our duty to the Constitution. Our oath wasn’t to an officer in the ranks above us, or to a politician, or even to a president. It was to the Constitution. This means that not only will we obey lawful constitutional orders but that we MUST refuse unlawful, unconstitutional orders. This is not only our right it is the law, it is our DUTY, and the essence of the oath we took. For if we follow an unlawful, unconstitutional order, how can we possibly be supporting and defending the Constitution? Based on that reality, Oath Keepers has issued a Declaration of ten orders we will not obey. Here are those ten orders:

1. We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people.

2. We will NOT obey orders to conduct warrantless searches of the American people.

3. We will NOT obey orders to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to military tribunal.

4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state.

5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty.

6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control."

9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies.

10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

In closing I would like to ask two things:

If you are in military service or law enforcement remember your oath! You may someday find yourselves as a last bulwark against tyranny.
If you believe in this Constitutional Republic of ours, whether you’ve ever been in military or law enforcement or not, and you would like to swear an Oath to defend the constitution, please stand, raise your right hand and take the oath with me now.

Repeat after me:

OATH KEEPERS OATH:

I, ___________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support

and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all

enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the

same, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or

purpose of evasion, pledging my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor. So

help me, God.

Thank you again for allowing me to be here and if you’d like additional information on Oath Keepers please visit our website at: oathkeepers.org

SPECIAL INDEPENDENCE DAY EVENTS

2009-07-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

July 4-5, 2009. Bozeman and Three Forks, Montana.

July 4, 2009

Bozeman, Montana
Saturday, July 4, 2009
10:00 AM/7:00 PM

Speaker: Stewart Rhodes
Event begins at 626 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT
Joan Stanley (organizer)
406-579-1496 (organizer phone)

AT 10 AM WE WILL BEGIN THE EVENT WITH A MARCH FROM THE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO THE COURTHOUSE DOWNTOWN. CELEBRATION TO FOLLOW JUST EAST OF THE GALLATIN FIELD TERMINAL AT AVIATION LANE (Next to Central Helicopters) OFF AIRPORT RD. IN BELGRADE. GREAT MUSIC, SPEAKERS AND FOOD. LOTS OF FREE PARKING. IF FLYING TO BOZEMAN (BZN) USE RUNWAY 30 AT THE EAST RAMP. NO FEES UNDER 8 HOURS, NO TIE DOWNS AVAILABLE.

JULY 5. Oath Keepers meeting.

Sacajawea Hotel Conference Room, Three Forks, Montana (http://www.sacajaweahotel.com/). This is also in the Bozeman area.

9:30 am to 6pm (with a break for lunch). Email oathkeepersok@gmail.com to RSVP.

At this July 5^th meeting, we will have:

Sheriff Richard Mack will be teaching a class on the duties and powers of the county sheriff. Also speaking will be Navy LCDR David Gillie and retired police Captain Chauncey Normandin (he will give a speech in Inverness, Florida on the 4th and then fly up to MT that night), along with me, Stewart Rhodes and our man in Montana, Elias. Together, we will teach classes on how to set up local Oath Keepers chapters in every county and how to conduct outreach to military and police. Montana will serve as a test model for our ultimate goal of chapters in every state and county level associations in each county, until we have every county in America with a strong oath keeper presence.

OTHER OATH KEEPERS SPEECHES ACROSS THE NATION:

We now have Oath Keepers speeches and ceremonies scheduled at eight different July 4^th events (and one on the 3^rd, in Las Vegas). So far, counting the Bozeman event already mentioned above, we have:

July 3, 2009

Las Vegas, NV

Desert Breeze Park beginning at 10:00 AM, Friday, July 3rd.

Veteran Bill Pojunis will deliver an Oath Keepers address and conduct an oath ceremony.

http://www.desertconservative.com/2009/06/19/las-vegas-tea-party-schedule-july-3/

July 4, 2009

Bozeman, Montana
Saturday, July 4, 2009
10:00 AM/7:00 PM

Stewart Rhodes
Event begins at 626 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT
Joan Stanley (organizer)
406-579-1496 (organizer phone)

And on July 5, in Three Forks, a special Oath Keepers meeting from 9:30 am to 6pm (with a break for lunch), at the Sacajawea Hotel (http://www.sacajaweahotel.com/). Email oathkeepersok@gmail.com to RSVP.

Eureka, Montana July 4, 2009 - Live appearance/lecture by Sheriff Richard Mack. This is Sheriff Mack’s own event, but he will be conducting an oath ceremony as part of his presentation on the responsibilities and powers of a county sheriff. Go here for more details: http://www.sheriffmack.com/docs/2009-07-04%20MACKflyer.pdf

Sheriff Mack will then be traveling to the Bozeman/Three Forks area to join us the next day, July 5, for our Oath Keepers meeting at the Sacajawea Hotel. You may recall that Sheriff Mack was a special Oath Keepers guest speaker at the April 19, 2009 Lexington Green rally with Committees of Safety. His book, The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope, is highly recommended reading for all Oath Keepers. Go to http://www.sheriffmack.com/ and get yourself a copy and another for your sheriff.

Glendive, MT

Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Bill Charon (Ret.) will deliver the Oath Keeper message and conduct the oath ceremony. SMSgt Charon is a veteran of three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

Glendive Freedom Rally & Spending Protest July 4, 2009 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
E.P.E.C. Glendive Betsey Hedrick (organizer)

San Antonio, TX

Officer John Shirley our Texas law enforcement liaison and Facebook director will be speaking at The San Antonio Tea Party at the Rio Cibolo Ranch, July 4th. http://www.sanantonioteaparty.org/

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cowboy TEA Patriot Party
Saturday, July 4, 2009

Dave Freeman, Army veteran, retired Las Vegas Metro officer, and Oath Keepers National Peace Officer Liaison.
12:00-5:30 PM
Capitol Steps
24th & Capitol Ave
Lisa Ray (organizer)
307-286-4082 (organizer phone)

www.cowboyteaparty.com and http://cheyennetaxdaytea.webs.com

Rally from 12-1:30 Event times 1:30-5:30 Kid events (face painting, coloring, historical stories), Educational Workshops, Music, Soap boxes, etc... It'll be great!

Inverness, Florida,

July 4, 2009

Army veteran,retired Police Captain, and official Florida Oath Keeper Representative Chauncey Normandin will speak at noon at the Inverness courthouse.

http://floridateaparty.weebly.com/

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma:

From 10am to 2pm at the Haikey Creek Park.

Ashville, North Carolina:

Marine Veteran Rand Cardwell will represent Oath Keepers at the Asheville Independence Day Tea Party on July 4, 2009

3:00 – 5:30 pm
Area in front of Buncombe County Courthouse

http://ashevilleteaparty.wordpress.com/

Utah

Veteran David Kale is tentatively scheduled to give an Oath Keepers address at both the Salt Lake City and Provo Utah Tea Parties on July 4.

See http://www.meetup.com/Utah-Tea-Parties/

Arkansas

Army Ranger Veteran, David Helms will be speaking at the Arkansas Unite July 4th Tea Party .See http://www.arkansasunite.com/

And more being set up almost as fast as we can post them (we'll be updating this list as they come in)

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Let any July 4 Tea Party organizer know that we can set them up with a written Oath Keepers speech and oath ceremony that any veteran or police officer can read at their event - it does not have to be an official Oath Keepers representative. And the oath is designed to be for average citizens too, not just for military, police and veterans. For example, at the Knoxville Tea Party, we had 3,000 people stand and take the oath.

I will educate all of the new soldiers I put in to the 10 orders

2009-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Oath Keepers,

I am an active duty soldier serving in the Army for 7 and one half years. I have served two tours in Iraq. I joined the Army because I wanted to give something back to my country. I wanted to serve, but for the past couple of years I have realized that something is not as it should be with the way things are being done in our nation. Throughout all of my research I had become disheartened with all of this and was beginning to feel disenfranchised with my service.

I felt alone.

Today I stumbled upon your organization and felt a profound sense of relief. I AM NOT ALONE! Right now I am a recruiter in central Illinois. Can you imagine how hard it is to do that job with my beliefs about the state of our nation? I will take the pledge and I will educate all of the new soldiers I put in to the 10 orders that should never be obeyed.

Thank you for creating this. Hopefully in the near future I can become more active in this organization. I feel a glimmer of hope in my heart again.

Thank You,

SGT E

US ARMY

Testimonial of John Mitchel, LtCol, USAF (Ret)

2009-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Please add me to the list of veterans, police officers, firemen and other public servants who have reaffirmed their oath to defend those individual rights guaranteed by our founding documents.

I consider my oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic" to be a lifelong commitment, and even though I am no longer on active duty, I am obligated to stand with the people whenever local, state or federal governments act to undermine those self-evident rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Very respectfully,

John Mitchel

LtCol, USAF (Ret)

Message From Radio Host Devvy Kidd: My radio guest TONIGHT: Lt. Behenna's mother (see link)

2009-06-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

FROM DEVVY KIDD:

I covered this on my radio show a few weeks ago. Tonight, Tues, June 30th, Michael's mother is my guest.

Lt. Behenna is serving a 25 year sentence for killing an Al Queda operative in Iraq.

I believe this is an outrage according to the facts:

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Vicki Behenna is a United States Attorney. Michael's father is a retired Special Agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.

As with the border patrol agents, Ramos and Campeon, I hope we can bring enough public pressure to get Michael out of prison.

I hope you'll spread the word to have people listen in while Vicki explains the prosecutorial misconduct and withholding of evidence in her son's case. If would also be great if talk show hosts could also get her booked on their shows.

Devvy

On live radio: Solutions Not Politics

Monday-Friday

6:00 pm PST, 8:00 pm CST and 9:00 pm EST

Listen live: http://www.themicroeffect.com/listenlive.htm

Podcast: http://microeffect.podbean.com/

Eagle 104 FM Tampa/Ocala

Testimonial of Current Serving Sheriff's Deputy With 14 Years in Service

2009-06-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

My name is Bruce Crumpler and I am a law enforcement officer in Tampa, Florida. I just recently heard of this site and organization and am extremely pleased it exists. I am 100% in support of Oathkeepers mission and commitment to uphold the Constitution. I trust I will never have to see the day when I am asked to violate a citizen’s rights or illegally carry out specific orders against an American citizen; but if that day comes, it is my oath that I will first obey the laws of the Bible and secondly the U.S. Constitution.

I love my job and proud to be a 14 year member of the law enforcement profession; but before I am a law enforcement officer I am a Christian and a citizen of the United States.

I proudly stand with all associated with Oathkeepers and would love to do my part here in Florida to spread the message and assist the organization in any way possible. Please let me know what I can do to assist. God bless you all, our families and this wonderful country.

Bruce Crumpler

Valrico, Florida

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

Tampa, Florida

OATH KEEEPERS: Thank you, Officer Crumpler, for stepping up and for offering to help spread the message among your fellow officers. Check your email for an incoming message from me, putting you in contact with retired officer Chauncey Normandin, who is our Florida representative. I am sure he will be delighted to work with you. - Stewart Rhodes

Testimonial of Combat Vet Who Served in Vietnam With the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (and Now Writes "Speculative Fiction" About Martial Law)

2009-06-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen,

I’m a combat vet. I served in Viet Nam with 3^rd Battalion, 1st Marines, so you know I took the oath a long time ago. I’m now living in Florida.

Only in my later years have I been made aware of how dangerous our government has become. I only hope the ‘10’ will spread throughout the ranks of civil peace officers as well as military personnel.

My piece of speculative fiction at http://reynoldswrapcap.blogspot.com/2008/06/state-of-siegeday-one.html led me here. In fact, a reader from the U.K. asked if I knew about Oath Keepers!

(NOTE: Above is the video trailer for Mike's "speculative fiction," State of Siege).

Glad I found this site and I’m sure I can bring a few more Marines with me.

“Guardians of the Republic”.

I like the sound of that. I like it a LOT!

My respects,

Mike Florey

Testimonial of 1st. Cav Vietnam Combat Veteran and Peace Officer

2009-06-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Oath Keepers,

I've taken the Oath four times in my 61 years of life. The first time was upon my entry into the Army for a six year hitch during Viet Nam.

I later entered Law Enforcement for 29 years, where I took the Oath three more time during my movement up the ranks. Every single time I took the Oath I felt an emotional lump in my throat because I believed in it and understood the awesome responsibility that went along with it.

My Oath NEVER expired. I swear to all that I will uphold my duty to that Oath as long as there is life in my body.

Lt. BRB

Marine Veteran: "pledging my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor"

2009-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

I feel the true measure of a man or a woman is what is in their heart and how willing are they to act upon that. Taking an oath, or making a even a simple promise are key to the real value of someone. I have worked very hard to impress this upon my own sons, they know that when “Dad” gives his word, that is the way it will be PERIOD, and that I will not settle for anything less from them or from myself. I am very proud to say all 3 sons will be standing on those yellow foot prints at M.C.R.D. within a year.

I took my first oath during the 70's when I enlisted into the U.S.M.C., I was a teenager at the time, looking back I did not fully understand that oath's full meaning, that understanding came over time as I matured, my eyes opened to the real value of a mans word given, and to always carefully consider any oath or promises made. I am proud I took that oath, and ashamed that at times I was caught up with the typical right Vs. left argument that seems to consume most Americans that for a time I lost sight that I am an AMERICAN and not a Republican or a Democrat or anything else beyond that. If I stay true to my promises made and oaths taken I will always do what is best for my God and my country, so again I say for all to witness...

I, David Kale, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, pledging my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor. So help me, God.

We took an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution, no where does the Constitution allow the Government to take from one man and give it to another, I challenge my fellow Oath Keepers to send any and all stimulus monies given to them back to the Government, or donate it to a worth while charity, if we are going to keep our oath.. we first start by living it to the best of our ability, both my wife and myself have taken no stimulis checks, payments or monies.

Ladies and Gentleman, I leave you with this one ideal.. it is better to live and even die on your feet as a free man or woman, than it is live on your knees at the feet of a loving and caring master.

Best regards to my brothers and sisters who keep their oaths and promises,

David Kale

OATH KEEPERS:

David will hopefully be speaking on behalf of Oath Keepers at both the Salt Lake City Tea Party and the Provo, Utah Tea Party (if he can arrange it schedule wise). Talk about doing double duty!

Thank you David for stepping up. We are fully confident that you will represent us with honor and spirit.

David stepped up on his own initiative and volunteered to speak at his local Tea Party events.

It is not too late for you to do likewise in your area. Approach your local Tea Party organizers - why would they not want to have a veteran speak on behalf of Oath Keepers or lead the Tea Party participants in taking the oath?

It makes for a memorable and very meaningful event, and it is something positive for a change, amid all the negative news we are bombarded with daily. It is a message of courage and hope, and it is fully fitting for a day when we should be rededicating ourselves to both the ideals of the American Revolution, and the resolve and determination of our forefathers.

July 4 is rivaled only by April 19 for evoking that spirit - the spirit of 76. And our oath, and our stand in honor of it, is a powerful tool to use to dispel fear and to spark the fire of liberty that still burns somewhere down inside every American.

The Oath is a powerful force for good. Use it.

Stewart Rhodes

Current serving Virginia National Guardsman

2009-06-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am a former Marine with 7 1/2 years of service, including two overseas deployments. Currently I’m serving in the Virginia National Guard, and by the grace of God I will stay true to the oath I have sworn, as a defender of our great republic.

All the men in my family have served our great nation, in one branch or another. I am very distressed about the state of our republic, and have been for long before our present commander in chief took the throne.

This country of ours is not just another nation state, it is a land founded on Judeo Christian principles, and those are what have blessed us with the lifestyle we currently possess. The reason our country is now deteriorating is for the simple fact we have strayed, far from our roots, we have adopted the sick philosophies of old, and have decided that the intellect or our founding fathers has no place in our modern society.

I am but a mere man in this universe, but when the line in the sand is finally drawn I will be here, and if I must die, so be it. Let God’s providence take place.

I would much rather have my bloodshed on the ground where my father’s walked, then in a foreign nation fighting some war that probably does more to line thieves pockets, than free a people from tyranny. Once I have had more than one glass of wine I tend to carry on, but for now, stay true to the constitutional oath you’ve sworn, and remember as the soldiers of the revolutionary war shouted to the tyranny of England, "no King but King Jesus."

God speed and long live the Republic.

Semper Fi

Freedom is not free, it is bought with the blood of patriots

2009-06-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

I so appreciate what you are doing and what you stand for.

God bless you all.

I am not a veteran. I did try to join the service in 1981, but they did not want me due to the fact I was married with two small children.

I am a citizen who believes in, will fight for, and die for, the Constitution and the preservation of our freedoms. Our ancestors fought and died so that we would be free today. I had the great blessing of growing up in a free country, but those freedoms are eroding, and in danger of being taken away if we do not stand together against this tyranny.

It is evident that the government fears us because they want so badly to disarm us. They can have my guns, but it will be after I've lost the fight. They can't go up against millions of military, veterans, law enforcement, and regular citizens.

I am with you all the way, and will contribute to help you keep going, even though I am unemployed.

Freedom is not free, it is bought with the blood of patriots, and if mine must be mingled in the mix, so be it. I do not fear death, for I go to a better place.

Thank you for having the guts to stand up and do the right thing.

God Bless you all,

Jeff Paulk

Tulsa, OK

May you always have Fair Winds and Following Seas

2009-06-27T14:21:00.001-07:00

Enlisted in Marine Corps ' 52 selected for WO ( Marine Gunner) Infantry officer ' '70, retired CWO-4 ' '93..I have kept the faith ,God, Country ,Corps, Family all these years.. I would be honored to belong to the Oath-Keepers.

Thank you, Oath-Keepers for your service to our country.."May you always have Fair Winds and Following Seas"

Regards Bud ...(Bursting Bomb Gunner) retired.

Special Forces Veteran: "My oath to the Republic is forever"

2009-06-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

To Free The Oppressed.
"We must win our communities back before we can win our government back."

I proudly served with the 1st Special Forces Group (ABN) from 1987-1991. The oath I took never ended just because I was honorably discharged. My oath to the Republic is forever. I continue to educate and stay active in winning back my community with the help of many Patriots and worthy organizations.

We must win our communities back before we can win our government back. Yes, some give me dirty looks and even some flak. But everyone I talk to, every letter to editor I write, every meetup at my local library I hold, I know I am planting the seeds necessary to gain understanding and trust. I urge all of you to do the same. Go to your local VFW, Amvets, American Legion Posts and tell them of Oath Keepers. Many of our elected representatives, policeman, sheriff, emergency personel are prior military. Seek them out. Commit yourself once again to be "The Professional" you know you are, and take back your community.

In Liberty Always,

Andy Myers

Jamestown, OH.

Ohio's 7th Congressional District

Campaign For Liberty District 7

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/usa/OH/7/

Patriots Against Public Corruption Now PAPCNow

www.meetup.com/ronpaul-102

Greater Miami Valley John Birch Society

http://jbs.meetup.com/107/

The Ohio Freedom Alliance

www.ohiofreedom.com

American Leftists Encourage Troops to Disobey Orders ... In IRAN

2009-06-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

"What will it take for the Iranian military to get engaged in protecting its own people?" - Twitter comment.

The political left is increasingly calling for the Iranian military to join the resistance.

See this discussion on the Democratic Underground.

And Twitter is also alive with people declaring "Iranian people MUST call the military to protect them from Basij and other paramilitaries!!! What will it take for the Iranian military to get engaged in protecting its own people?"

So, apparently, it's OK to disobey the orders of SOME government officials, at least the ones over there in Iran. Well, it's a start. Now if we can just get leftist pundits to see how or when it would also be OK over here, maybe they will stop calling us "traitors" and "extremists" for even suggesting that our troops might want to consider disobeying certain rather extreme orders at some future point. How can it be treason to encourage our troops to not shoot their fellow Americans and to not round them up and force them into concentration camps? What's good for the goose ... - OATH KEEPERS

The below was posted on the New Republic website:

How The Iranian Military Can Be Flipped: A Field Guide

-Amanda Silverman

As the protests in Iran continue and reports of violence in the streets proliferate, we started to wonder what could make members of the Basij and other paramilitary groups abandon their ties to the regime and back the opposition. So, we called founding chair of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, Peter Ackerman, to see if he had any advice. First, he stressed just how important it is to flip the troops: "If loyalty shifts don't occur, ultimately the movement will sort of dissipate and vanish. With these shifts, the movement's progress will accelerate and it will become an even more potent force than it is currently." Then he got into specifics:

Use the clerics. "What you need to do to create the flip in the loyalty of the military is to have third parties of moral authority come to them and their families and argue for that change. That's why it is important to consider the significant split among the clerics. This dissenting faction is dispersed throughout Iran so they could be the ones to start the dialogue. They in turn would lay out an alternative version that, with all things being equal, is more attractive than the existing reality."

Make the troops see a better alternative to the present. "Whoever you're dealing with in the military, you're not going to appeal to them just by saying violence isn't nice. You have to say, ‘Look--we're trying to build something that is more attractive to you long term.' We've seen this work before in South Africa, Poland, and Chile."

Hold your fire. "If the dissidents start shooting and throwing rocks, it will be very difficult to get defections from military."

Consider what groups you're working with. "In general terms--the more elite the unit, the more their culture is insulated from everyone else in society, and thus the harder it is to flip. ....

Read the rest HERE.

OATHKEEPERS: This is VERY INTERESTING! Perhaps we need to work up a counterpart field guide for here. Hmmm, I wonder if Mr. Ackerman will help us write it. Don't hold your breath. Yet, we should sit up and take notes as we watch what is going on in Iran. There IS a serious chance the Iranian military can be flipped.

One thing though - Ackerman thinks that the more elite the unit, the more likely it is to "just follow orders." We don't think that is the case (nor ar the Basiji "elite"- they appear to be equivalent to brown shirt thugs, not highly trained elite soldiers). Often, the more elite the unit, the more free thinking and the greater the sense of duty and honor (witness our Special Forces, SEALS, Delta, Force Recon, etc.).

In fact, in Iran, it was General Ali Fazli, a decorated combat veteran and the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, who has refused to follow orders to use force against the protesters in Iran. Maybe an academic just can't understand how it would be that the more hard-core the troops, the more courage and devotion to the people those troops will have, and the more willing the troops might be to sacrifice their lives to do what is right - like General Fazli. - Stewart Rhodes

Some of the comments from Democratic Underground and Twitter

Democratic Underground;
"I'm also receiving tweets with unconfirmed rumors that Iranian generals are being arrested. Heard another unconfirmed tweet that at least one was prevented from being arrested by Iranian Marines.

The vast majority of the violence has been coming from the Basiji, but they're not numerous enough to put down the revolution in all of Iran. If the army's refusing to help put down the revolution, or they turn and fight with the Greens, Ahmedinajad and Khamenei are going DOWN!!!

I guess we'll see how this turns out."

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Seriously, you don't piss off the military, especially the military leaders. In unstable countries (which Iran is becoming more and more of by the hour) the military has already decided "you know what, screw you government, we're taking over/removing you from power and putting someone else in charge". Both events have happened countless times before."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitter;

JoyMalone May the people of Iran find the strength 2 fight & may the regime have the fortitude 2 C the evil of its ways & the courage 2 change them..

Los_Ojos Hope the people don't stop fighting in Iran for freedom. Don't stop, don't stop. Those thug leaders gotta go. Blessings stay strong,for NENA

Jeff_Head #Iran #Iranelection Iran people-Now is the time-Tyrants have shed your blood-Arm yourselves-Iran military come to the aid of YOUR people

warrenpeace312 IRGC Commander arrested for refusing to shoot protesters - the system is unraveling. Keep it up people of Iran! #iranelection

COMMENTARY: Four Reasons Why Gun Sales Are Up

2009-06-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Below are Deputy Sheriff and Police Academy Commander Scott Wagner's thoughts on why some police officers are afraid of what the future may hold. This is circulating around the web with the title "Note from a Cop" but the actual title is as above, and it was written for Tactical-life.com

Below is an excerpt, but please go to Tactical-life.com to read the whole thing and the comments there. - OK

What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops. Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies – rural, suburban and metro – in my area are scared.

COMMENTARY: Four Reasons Why Gun Sales Are Up

Written by Scott Wagner

The fear on the street is palpable. Ever since the election of Barack Obama as President of these United States in November 2008, coupled with the election of a democrat party majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, concern for the United States and personal safety has ignited like a fire in dry grass. Sales of guns – black guns, rifles, shotguns and handguns (particularly 9mm) everywhere, have gone through the roof. AR15s have literally flown off of dealer shelves, and only now in the spring of 2009, have I seen the display samples of ARs begin to reappear on the wall of my favorite shooting emporium after the initial post election rush.

Manufacturers of ARs are still working to catch up and some of the major suppliers are as much as 150,000 guns behind. Not only that, ammo is in the shortest supply I have ever seen in the 43 years of my shooting life. Have you recently tried to get 5.56mm, 9mm or even .380 ammo? Supplies of 5.56mm and 9mm ammo are in short supply due to the black gun buying craze; .380ACP because of the rise in people getting concealed carry permits and the resurgence of interest in convenient.380 handguns like the fine Ruger LCP. In fact, in doing a review of the Ruger LCP, my gun store only had a small supply of ONE .380 round on hand, the Winchesters 95-grain SXT, which they had just gotten in.

Unfortunately, I had to do a 30-round review of that pistol. There was none other to be found. The 5.56mm was the first caliber to noticeably be in short supply. This was first due to the war effort, the headlong adoption of 5.56mm rifles by law enforcement agencies ever since the great LAPD bank robbery and shootout, the general shooting public interest in and acceptance of the AR15 weapons system along with a realization that yes, the AR does have sporting purpose, and of course now, this new fear that is on the street. Sales of ARs also went up following 9/11.

What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops. Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies – rural, suburban and metro – in my area are scared. Cops that before November 2008 never gave much thought (that I knew of anyway) to politics or more importantly to gun rights. For the most part, these are the guys that didn’t generally have any interest in shooting or gun ownership beyond keeping track of where their duty gun is, and a few of them didn’t even do that so well.

The guys I am talking about are some of the same guys who used to not even carry off duty on a regular basis- but not anymore. They don’t scare easily, defenders of the Constitution of this State and the United States (as our oath of office reads), have been buying ARs, survival gear, and all the ammo they can lay their hands on. All of them (or I should say “us”) have been discussing and have been acquiring guns to provide a layered perimeter defense.

We want something in .308 (or in my case a superb M1 Garand in .30-06) for covering the outer perimeters, 5.56mm weapons for mid-range use (for some with more limited funds, the AK-47 and 7.62×39 cartridge will suffice), and for the close up stuff shotguns and handguns (love my Benelli M4 Tactical and Beretta 92 9mm).

What are we suddenly so afraid of? Well in our discussions it seems to boil down to four areas. First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary “service” after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on.

But these items in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. We can’t see the full impact of these actions yet, but we don’t know what was added into the thousand of pages of stimulus package bills in the dead of night yet. I predict however that when the plans contained in the stimulus packages go into effect, a lot of us are going to be surprised if not shocked by what has suddenly and sweepingly changed.

What also scares us is the second, well-founded fear that there is an assault weapons ban looming, one that would make the Clinton Ban appear like a look of disdain in comparison. I remember well the 1990s and the Clinton years: the rise of militia groups, the “black helicopter” rumors and paranoia, all of which was motivated by the Brady Law and the Assault Weapon’s ban. What if a new ban comes requiring registration or confiscation and turn-in of banned weapons as what happened in Australia?

I watched cops and citizens alike purchase these guns at $900 dollars and more, with custom or tricked out guns easily running into the $2,000 range. Then add on all the accessories, red dots, lights, slings and anything else you can name and you may have up to $3,000 wrapped up in your rig. I saw the looks in their eyes. These purchasers weren’t spending this kind of money just to turn in the guns for no compensation when a government tells them to. I foresee much civil disobedience coming down the road.

Americans are citizens, and not subjects like the British, Canadians or Australians. They just don’t always obey the law blindly and not one officer or citizen that I spoke to said anything like “I hope I get to keep this gun for awhile before they are banned; They are fun to shoot, so I would hate to give it up.” It isn’t going to happen, so the cop on the street and the soldier on the base needs to think now what he will do if the orders come down. I think you all get what I am saying here.

Which leads me to the third fear, that there is a revolution coming, yes, a revolution on the scale of the original American Revolution. ....

Read the rest HERE.

Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan

2009-06-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am a formor Marine. I am outraged by this government, especially by DHS.

My name is Robert Buckey, veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Sgt, 0311.

I stand with you all, my brothers and sisters in arms.

I carry a copy of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and the oath I took

2009-06-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

Good Day, I write as an Oath Keeper who is a medically discharged veteran that believes wholeheartedly in the oath I took to defend my country's Constitution and Bill of Rights. Currently I am involved in a few basic organizations that are attempting to effect change at a local level inside our government however, I can see our efforts are falling on closed ears and minds. Frustration is obviously one emotion felt by all of us about this but also the feeling of impending doom as the laws which protect our civil liberties and freedoms are changed, modified and removed almost everyday.

I see the dark clouds on the horizon and know the storm is coming soon. Examples are not needed as they are clearly known to all who are truly involved with being vigilant against this tyranny and injustice to our way of life. The atrocities being committed against us are almost unbearable as I watch the daily routines of our government chip, hammer and crush our rights and freedoms.

I carry a copy of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and the oath I took when I joined the U.S. Army at all times and I make every attempt to share the knowledge I have with others. Notwithstanding the names I have been called regarding my beliefs about the state of our nation I persevere and keep sharing the words of freedom, but deep down I can feel there is more that I should be doing yet do not know what to do that will have the most impact upon the people I share this information with.

I write with the hopes of becoming more knowledgeable about the options to spread the word of truth and freedom to more people and to do it more effectively than I currently am.

Regards,

Eric Levay
Former U.S. Army
Current Oath Keeper and Patriot for our Constitution

My oath of enlistment was taken proudly and solemnly

2009-06-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

My oath of enlistment was taken proudly and solemnly. I never regarded it as a mere obligation; I regarded it as a privilege. I still hold myself bound to those words I spoke nearly thirty years ago.

I will FOREVER hold myself bound to them.

As a former Petty Officer First Class in the United States Navy and Staff Sergeant in the Illinois Army National Guard, I am honored to pledge my support to Oath Keepers and stand in the ranks with true patriots.

Jeff Close

I find no higher calling than to join forces with the Oath Keepers

2009-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Airman's Creed reads, in part: "...I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor, And a legacy of valor....Guardian of freedom and justice, my nation's sword and shield, its sentry and avenger." That document is the core of an Airman's vow. Nowhere in the full text of the same does it say that I will defend the President with my life.

My oath as an officer, when I take it a few years hence, swears me to defend the Constitution against its enemies, both foreign and domestic, and asserts that I will "bear true faith and allegiance to same."

I consider myself an honorable man. The only choice that men of honor have, faced with a de facto coup d'etat, is to reject orders unlawfully given and offer their lives in the defense of the Constitution.

I am an American Airman. As such, I find no higher calling than to join forces with the Oath Keepers, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow Americans in our own defense. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually affirm our oath and pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

//SIGNED// HAROLD P WITTEN,
C/4C, AFROTC Detachment 330, University of Maryland

Revolutionary Guards commander defies Khamenei's orders to use force on protestors

2009-06-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

General Ali Fazli, who lost an eye in the war with Iraq.

IBTimesUK reports:

22 June 2009

A commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards has been arrested for refusing to obey Iran's Supreme Leader, according to reports from the Balatarin website.

General Ali Fazli, who was recently appointed as a commander of the Revolutionary Guards in the province of Tehran, is reported to have been arrested after he refused to carry out orders from the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to use force on people protesting the controversial re-election of President Mah

moud Ahmadinejad.

For full coverage of the Iranian election protests click here

Fazli, a veteran of the devastating Iran-Iraq war is also believed to have been sacked and taken to an unknown location.

READ THE REST HERE.

OATH KEEPERS:

So, at least one Iranian General has refused orders issued by the "supreme leader" to use force against protesters. Good for him! May we see more like him step up, and may their troops under their command do the same. Unfortunately, so far the Iranian government has had plenty of obedient orcs who are willing to shoot unarmed protesters, like this [WARNING, VERY GRAPHIC]:

Shooting Death of Unarmed Young Iranian Girl, Neda Soltani:

Here is the statement of a witness to the shooting:

..Basij shots to death a young woman in Tehran's Saturday June 20th protests At 19:05 June 20th Place: Karekar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father watching the protests was shot by a basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim's chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know.

And here is another video of unarmed college students who have been shot by the Iranian government's thugs:

And here is a report on how the Iranian government is suppressing the reporting of news crews, by beating them, and also how it is trying to stop the use of social media like Twitter and Facebook to get the news out [most of the video and reports coming out of Iran are by citizens using social media]:

But there are likely not enough hardline "Basij" Gestapo in Iran to stop the Iranian people from rising up. And in fact, despite the willingness of the government enforces to fire at unarmed protesters, IBtimesUK reports that "Iranians are set to gather at 4pm (12:30 British time) [today] for a rally to mourn the death of 27 year old student Neda Agha Soltani, dubbed the "Angel of Iran" after her death, allegedly at the hands of a Basij militiaman was caught on camera." [see above video].

That memorial will be held in the face of very real threats of violence from the Revolutionary Guard which has, according to the Associated Press:

issued a threat to people considering further protests on their website.
The site warns protestors to "be prepared for a resolution and revolutionary confrontation with the Guards, Basij and other security forces and disciplinary forces."
All mosques in Tehran have been banned from holding memorial services for Neda."

Reported here.

And so a memorial will be held anyway, despite threats of more violence from the government enforcers. Now you have to admire the courage of people willing to take to the streets in defiance of a government ban and hold a memorial service for a girl who was herself shot dead in the street. The more unarmed protesters are shot and beaten, the more Iranians are going to step over to the side of the protesters and the more the regime will lose legitimacy.

And maybe, just maybe, a tipping point will come where the Iranian military, including even the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, may side with the resistance. If they do, all they would have to do is step aside and let the people deal with the "Basij" directly. As one young American soldier said not long ago, "masses win. Masses win." May the masses in Iran win.

Oath Keepers

Michael Maresco; Liberty Rider and Oath Keeper; teaching freedom and honesty across the country

2009-06-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Liberty Rider, Michael Maresco, is crossing the country by bike and handing out Oath Keeper dvd's along with Sheriff Mack's book and other materials to folks across the country.

Read up on his adventure. http://libertyrider.com/

He stood with us at Lexington Green on April 19 and swore an Oath the defend the constitution. He also hung out with the Oath Keepers crew that whole weekend, and we can vouch for him as a stand up guy and one heck of a patriot.

He needs just a little more funding to finish off his freedom ride. It would be awesome if he was topped off by Oath Keepers! So, please click on the "chip in" link at the bottom of this post and donate what you can to Michael's effort.

Stella says: Sheriff Leroy Baca advocates that he and all his 18,000 officers and staff uphold their OATH

2009-06-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

NOTE FROM STEWART:

Oath Keepers encourages grassroots activism to spread the Oath Keepers message. Below is an example of just such activism. Stella Oakman, on her own initiative, but with our full encouragement, formed up a California Meetup group called Oath Keepers SoCal and has been spreading the Oath Keepers message like wildfire in her area. Below, Stella shares her own testimonial on her oath, and also tells us about some very good news! Stella is a model for what an Oath Keeper activist should be like. - Stewart Rhodes

TESTIMONIAL OF STELLA OAKMAN:

When I first saw the Oath Keepers website just a day or two before Lexington Green, I knew I had finally found the group I was waiting for. Until people know what it means to put their lives on the line for what they believe in, they are unreliable in times of crisis. As a former Army Officer, Social Studies teacher, mom and business person who has lived overseas a number of times, I know the difference our Constitution makes. Without it, there is very little freedom.

When I formed Oath Keepers SoCal on April 19, 2009, I was amazed to see so many civilians sign up to take the Oath with me. Even after reading to them Samuel Adams' warning:

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude more than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget you were our countrymen."

All of the newcomers stayed to take the Oath pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to one another. Some have said that they feel very strengthened by taking the Oath for the first time.

It is good to stand for something and there is nothing better to stand for than liberty. http://www.meetup.com/Oath-Keepers-SoCal/members/9367493/

-Stella Oakman

Brought to you by http://freepeopleontheland.wordpress.com, Sheriff Watch

Yesterday representatives of the Oath Keepers SoCal attended a meeting with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office. As the Sheriff himself was traveling overseas for a few more weeks, they met with the Commander Tim Laing.

Their goal was to obtain their support of the Oath of Office every law enforcement officer takes in our country--"to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." The Sheriff had reviewed the national Oath Keepers website as well as the local chapters and believed he could support their mission. While final official approval must come again directly from the Sheriff, it would seem there is no reason to believe the meeting changed his support.

Commander Laing was surprised to hear that the group's organizer was being told by several of the 30 Sheriff's posts that Oath Keepers would be considered political and they couldn't freely join. Thus the need to approach the Sheriff himself. The County Sheriff IS political--he/she is voted into office by WE THE PEOPLE of the county. The Sheriff KNOWS who he works for. Generally a County Sheriff frequently SEES the people in his county in his daily work and personal life. The Sheriff IS ACCOUNTABLE TO US because of this close contact.

But you can imagine the joy these Oath Keepers felt when they learned Sheriff Leroy Baca would advocate that he and all his 18,000 officers and staff uphold their own OATH! The Oath Keepers SoCal are proud to stand "Shoulder to Shoulder" with their Sheriff's department. Sheriff Baca runs the largest Sheriff's department in the entire world--dwarfing most in other states. This is a big victory for liberty and in support of our Constitution.

The County Sheriff has the authority to stand up to the State and Federal Governments and determine who can do anything inside his county. So don't wait another minute to reach out to your Sheriff and determine his/her committment to their Oath of Office and their accountability to the welfare of their citizens. You just might be joyfully surprised!!

Be sure to purchase a copy of Sheriff Mack's book to hand to your Sheriff. Sheriff Mack is retired now, but speaks around the country to communities about the role of the County Sheriff. Sheriff Mack is the ONLY person to have sued Bill Clinton (as President) for a non-sexual matter AND he WON!! As the Sheriff, he asserted his full authority over the Federal government. THIS IS OUR SECURITY AGAINST A TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT.

Hug a Sheriff TODAY!!

"I proudly voted for Obama . . . I will be proud to call myself an Oath Keeper."

2009-06-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

I proudly voted for Obama in the previous election, and I will be heading to OCS in Quantico, VA to take the oath and become a United States Marine in the near future.

I will be proud to call myself an Oath Keeper.

There goes all the 'anonymous' idiots' racists anti-Obama claims.

Go back to your world of warcraft and final fantasy, this is big boy stuff.

[Note from Oath Keepers, we are absolutely a non-parson group as the video below explains]

Marine Gunnery Sergeant: "My oath is my word of life – the surrender of my life – to insure the survival of our Constitution against all enemies"

2009-06-20T00:39:00.000-07:00

SEMPER FI

What the oath means to a Marine:

"As long as we draw breath, our oath remains a prime directive .... We honor it, not only as a covenant to the living and our future posterity, but also as a sacred vow to our glorious dead that their sacrifice for our individual freedoms and liberties will never be in vain." - Jimmy Ward, GySgt / USMC (ret.)

Listen up! Gunny's got something to say.

Oath keepers,

As a retired Marine Gunny of 22 years, my duty took me all over the Far East, Middle East, and parts of Europe; Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Iraq, with several stops in between to keep the frost off.

When I gave my oath to support and defend the Constitution, I knew it was my duty to fully understand both the letter of the law, and the history behind the founding spirit of that law. This especially applies to the final guarantees of individual liberties contained in the Bill of Rights – the last check against tyranny.

My oath is my word of life – the surrender of my life – to insure the survival of our Constitution against all enemies “foreign and domestic.” That includes guardianship from those at our local, State, and Federal governments who seek to hijack or subvert our collective Constitution.

Whether we are the tip of the spear or in the rear with the gear, Marines know that our oath does not have an expiration date, regardless if our status is active, reserves, or retired. As long as we draw breath, our oath remains a prime directive.

This is because our oath runs deeper than words. It is a profound conviction that serves as an interrogation mark to the moral courage that reflects our dignity of soul. It is the preferred virtue, second only to our personal faith and trust in God.

We honor it, not only as a covenant to the living and our future posterity, but also as a sacred vow to our glorious dead that their sacrifice for our individual freedoms and liberties will never be in vain.

And I remain unwavering in that belief.

Your Compatriot,

Jimmy Ward
GySgt / USMC (ret.)

COMMENT FROM OATH KEEPERS: Now that's what you call LEADERSHIP. Gunny, that is one of the most eloquent and stirring expressions of love of country and commitment from the heart of an American warrior we have ever had the honor to post on this site. VERY well said. Welcome aboard! Semper fi.

Testimonial of Rex H. McTyeire; Maj, US Army Special Forces (ret)

2009-06-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Request permission to Come Aboard

Hi People;

Congrats on getting this off the ground. I am Rex H. McTyeire; Maj, US Army Special Forces (ret). I will hit 60 this year; and I am appalled at the direction of things lately, nationwide. I can’t do as much as I used to, but I am a bright old fart: have PC, can write, organize, and communicate. I am here in Gaffney SC.. wishing to be of assistance. (The current local town Police Chief is my Bro-In Law.)

How can I help and participate? I am politically active internationally in the Independence for Scotland movement ..and an elected member of the Scottish Independence Convention as a US citizen of Scot descent. Then I discovered there was a threat to my own Independence. NOMW!! (Not On My Watch. :-).

[NOTE: Go here to read an article Major McTyeire wrote for the Winter 1990 issue of Special Warfare, entitled Operations and Intelligence: Keeping Pace With Special Forces Missions].

COMMENT FROM OATH KEEPERS: No permission necessary, Sir! We suspect you have been an oath keeper since 1967. Your knowledge, experience, and abilities would be absolutely invaluable to our efforts - and mustang SF officers are especially most welcome.

We are actively looking for official Oath Keepers representatives/organizers in each state, so if you are interested in serving in that capacity, please let us know. We would also welcome articles from you. And please encourage your police chief brother-in-law to get involved as well.

If you have a Tea Party in your area on July 4, please consider speaking on behalf of Oath Keepers at that event and conducting an oath ceremony. If you decide to arrange that, let us know and we will announce it on the board and give you any assistance you may need.

It's time for all of us to do whatever we can.

De Oppresso Liber!

OK you Navy, Marine, and Air Force guys, you need to get busy! We have seen a two star Army General step up, and now a Special Forces Major. The Army is putting you guys to shame!

Testimonial of Current Reserve Military Police and Combat Veteran

2009-06-19T01:17:00.000-07:00

Rock of the Marne!

I served in the U.S. Army, and am still in the reserves. I was in the 3rd Infantry Division on active duty and am currently serving in 1/104th div (mp).

I remember the oath I took on October 10, 2003, and again on April 15, 2005 and again on June 1st, 2008. I stand ready to always uphold the constitution of our united states and I will not obey any of the stated orders on your web page [in the declaration of orders we will not obey]. I am a 3 time combat veteran.

Thank you for all that you do and please notify my of any meetings so that I may attend.

Joshua King

Testimonial of Sgt. John Meaders, Current Serving California Highway Patrol Officer

2009-06-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

What has our country come to where the citizens, whose very job is to protect America, are troubled by thoughts of recrimination when announcing or reaffirming their allegiance to our Constitution?

In the last 34 years, I have taken this most sacred oath twice. If either my current police department or old Army unit has a problem with my commitment to America, they should pack up and leave our great country because I will defend it against all enemies! I pray those who find offense with this post will move aside so freedom will be won without bloodletting. Thanks for standing tall "Oath Keepers" and please feel free to post my name.

"Yes, we must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." - Dr. B. Franklin

John A. Meaders
Army Veteran and
California Highway Patrol Sergeant

I am a Veteran.

2009-06-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

I am a Veteran.

In 1985 I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.

I took it again in 1988.

That Oath was not discharged in 1992 when I was, and no man can make me renege or renounce.

I will obey no order, law or edict that is contradictory to the clear intent of those Words I have sworn to defend.

I pledge my allegiance to no man, government, or even Flag.

I pledge Allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the Republic which it Defines:
One Nation, Under Arms, Weakly Federalist, With Liberty and Justice for All.

Bryan Potratz, USA

I remain bound by the oaths I freely took upon myself

2009-06-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Even though long retired from active duty, I remain bound by the oaths I freely took upon myself. Throughout history, to men and women of character, an oath is a sacred promise, not only to oneself, but to those to whom the oath is given.

I will not break that sacred promise.

Jules C. Smith, CMSgt, USAF (Ret)

Special Forces, Rangers, Seals, and Force Recon Veterans will support and defend this "COUNTRY, IT'S PEOPLE, THE CONSTITUTION, THE FLAG AND LIBERTY"

2009-06-18T11:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

I along with a few of my friends (I will not disclose the exact number) have been watching your site for a while. We are all veterans made up of Former Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy Seals and Marine Force Recon. Each and everyone of us have seen and fought in combat through out this world. I will inform you now that if the need arises for us once again to pick up our weapons to support and defend this "COUNTRY, IT'S PEOPLE, THE CONSTITUTION, THE FLAG AND LIBERTY" we will stand with you. We took the Oath and we still live by it today. Let's just hope and pray it does not come to that.

Sincerly,

Bill

Major General Albert (Bert) N. Stubblebine III (U.S. Army, Retired): "My oath is sacred in my heart and will remain so. "

2009-06-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am the son of a West Point Grad who devoted his life to keeping his oath to defend the Constitution of These United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. He did that in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Southern France and he did that in the US as a Quartermaster Corps Officer.

I took the same oath as a new graduate of West Point and it rings deep in my heart today. That resonant throb makes me a terrorist suspect, according to our government.

If so, who are the enemies?

Like my father, I have seen combat and served my country in peace time as well. That service makes me a terrorist suspect.

If so, who are the enemies?

And, like my father, I did so because I believed - and still believe - in the Constitution of These United States. That belief, proudly declared, makes me a terrorist suspect.

If so, who are the enemies?

What I no longer believe in is the goodwill, trustworthiness or honesty of the people at the head of our government.

So I ask you again, if this is so, who are the enemies?

Just the other day a false "Pandemic Level 6" was declared, setting the stage for: Mandatory vaccinations or Indefinite quarantine in a pandemic, no matter how absurd; Endless wars; Deadly vaccines forced on troops; US collusion in the global drug trade...

And now, US Troops committed to controlling, quelling, removing and, if need by, according to the training they are receiving, firing upon unarmed US Citizens.

Are they the enemies? I know they are not in their hearts and that no American soldier, sailor, marine, or peace officer will ever obey such an order.

My oath is sacred in my heart and will remain so. I will remain loyal to the Constitution of These United States to protect it from all enemies foreign and domestic, no matter what office or robe they wear.

I will not fire on unarmed US Citizens. I will not oppress or violate the rights of those protected by the Constitution of These United States and I will retain my free speech rights since they are, like the other inalienable rights I cherish and defend as a US Citizen, my birthright.

This I swear, on my honor as an Officer and a Gentleman, by order of the United States Congress and by the Divine Authority upon which the Constitution of These United States rests.

For Duty, for Honor and for Country, so help me God,

Maj. Gen. Albert N. Stubblebine III (US Army, Ret.)
President, Natural Solutions Foundation

About Major General Albert (Bert) N. Stubblebine III (U.S. Army, Retired) [from the Natural Solutions Foundation website]

Bert is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, class of 52) who enjoyed a distinguished 32 year career in the U.S. Army during which he commanded soldiers at every level. After his retirement he served as the VP for Intelligence Systems with BDM, a major defense contractor. He has taken this set of experiences and become involved in leading-edge medical research and development in collaboration with his wife Rima E. Laibow, M.D.

He is a long-term way-out-of-the-box thinker who redesigned the U.S. Army’s Intelligence architecture while serving as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s Intelligence School and Center and helped to define the requirements of the U.S. Army for future conflict. The re-design earned his place in the Intelligence Hall of Fame.

Many of the innovations he develop helped the U.S. to conduct the First Gulf War effectively and swiftly with a very low casualty rate. He also commanded the U.S. Army’s Electronic Research and Development Command (ERADCOM) and the U.S. Army’s Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM).

Having defended his country for 32 years and having then worked for the remainder of his career to build better ways of being and becoming well, Bert is determined not to let the forces which are threatening American’s health freedoms prevail.

Essayons! Combat Engineer, and Desert Storm Veteran, Will Keep His Oath

2009-06-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

To whom it may concern:

I'm old, broken down, and way out of practice, but working to correct that problem. It's been 13 years since my last drill, 1996, and 18 years since my last active duty deployment, 1991, Desert Storm. You can be sure, however, that I will uphold my oath to defend the Constitution, even after all of this time.

Essayons!

James Zucker

High Point, NC

Active Duty Military Police Officer and Constitutionalist

2009-06-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

I am a Law abiding citizen, I am a husband, I am a brother, I am a son, I am a Patriot, I am an Active Duty Military Police Officer, I am a Constitutionalist and by the hand of my God whoever he shall be I will defend my Sovereignty and Liberty by the means that the Constitution Grants me, whether it be with civility or force. "We will say to the Powers that be, Be it with your blood or ours we have come to water the tree of liberty"

And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.

The time is now I am with you.

V/r

Joshua R Reid, FC2(SW) USN

T-shirts, Patches and Hats Oh My!

2009-06-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

T-shirts $25 for short sleeve, $30 for Long Sleeve (shipping included).

Hats $25 if ordered with T-shirt, $28 if ordered by itself (to cover shipping). These hats are made in the USA and so cost a bit more more than most made in China hats. The hats have an "Oath Keeper" tab logo on the back and the above patch logo on the front.

Patches $10

"Oath Keeper" Tabs $10 (subdued, matching the patch)

All of the above are made in the USA by mom and pop suppliers.

We have had more more than a few bugs with getting out our last batch of T-shirts and if you are still waiting on yours as of today we're including a "goody" for your patience.

TO ORDER: use the below Paypal "Donate" button or the "Donate" button at the upper right of the blog (they go to the same place).
Just type what you'd like into the Paypal message box after clicking donate.

I AM JOINING THE FIGHT

2009-06-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I AM JOINING THE FIGHT AND HAVE RECENTLY HAD VISITS FROM THE FBI IN REGARDS TO THE TRAINING I DO TO PREPARE CITIZENS WITH MEDICAL,COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER INFO TO BE ASSETS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEMSELVES IN TIMES OF STRIFE. SEEMS I HAVE BECOME A CONCERN FOR DOING THIS AND THAT TELLS ME I MUST BE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

I HAVE SERVED MY COUNTRY TWICE AND SWORE MY OATH TWICE TO "DEFEND THIS COUNTRY AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC."

I HAVE JOINED THE FIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY AND ITS RETURN TO THE REPUBLIC IT ONCE WAS.

HERE IS MY WEBSITE AND THE JULY ISSUE OF "SWAT" MAGAZINE HAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT MY TRAINING.

[Note from Oath Keepers: go here to read that excellent article by S.W.AT. columnist Jeff Randall].

I AM PROUD TO BE AMONG THOSE STANDING FOR THIS COUNTRY AND KNOW I AM IN GOOD COMPANY.

JOHN GERRARD. www.alphieomegatraining.com

[Note from Oath Keepers: We asked Mr. Gerrard to tell us a little more about his visit from the FBI, and below is what he sent. ]

A little background to this story.

May 27, 2009: Around 1600 hrs. Bryan County Sheriff detectives in a white Ford Explorer with heavily tinted windows arrived at the ranch while my wife and I were outside tending to our farm. The apparent reason for their visit was that they were looking for our daughters’ boyfriend who worked at the Bryan County Jail as a jailer. They informed us the needed to ask the boyfriend some questions and clear some things up in connection to an escape of an inmate on charges of armed robbery. While waiting for our daughter and her boyfriend to arrive home we chatted with the detectives. Since it was our daughter involved with the individual the deputies wanted to question we felt in the interest of everyone’s safety it best for them to pick him up at our home allowing us to observe and witness what could have been a potentially dangerous situation. During the course of our conversation with the deputies we spoke about the economy and I told them about the Oathkeepers site. They seemed aware of the economic concerns but only voiced an opinion of the fact the economy was “not going well” as told on the mainstream media. Once our daughter and her boyfriend arrived the deputies immediately AND peacefully put him in their vehicle and took him in for questioning.

May 28, 2009: Around 1400 hrs. our dogs again alerted us that we had someone coming up the drive so I went out on the front porch to see who it was this time. Again, it was a white Ford Explorer so I assumed it was the deputies from the day before. They parked their vehicle in the shade and again two casually dressed men, again with side arms, approached me on the porch. I started the conversation with “well, you guys back again today?” I then realized that they were not the same officers and introduced themselves with the FBI and stated their names Agent Jeff Youngblood of the FBI (his business card denotes ”Special Agent Durant Resident Agency”) and Alan N. Carpenter ( his card has a heading U.S. Dept of Justice FBI Special Agent) said they had ‘heard about my training from the local sheriff’s office’ and were here to ask me some questions about ‘the training’. We then played a verbal chess game of questions/answer and I relayed the basic information about my training scenarios i.e.: medical, communications, survival skills, alternative power, antennas, solar, as well as the firearms training. They were interesting in how far my commo gear would communicate, how much of my gear was “off grid on solar” and numerous other questions about the ability I had to communicate “long distances.” At times the questions were specific about the training and other questions appeared to be more probing like “How do you advertise for your training”? This one I avoided answering, it seems they were concerned with the potential radio programs I spoke on and had used to let others know of the training seminars. Hmmm…. I thought to myself….. 1^st amendment violations….patriot act…?

They asked if we could go “somewhere to sit and talk” and I pointed towards the porch but with only two chairs I felt more comfortable staying outside so we continued our conversation standing on the porch. I realized later that they would have preferred we had gone inside to talk. They inquired as to how I check out the people who come to the training. I responded that we really haven’t had any concerns about anyone but had a former OSI agent who teaches the communications course and if there was a concern he would ‘check them out’. Mr. Youngblood then offered to do background checks for me and all I had to do is call him. Hmmmm……. I have never heard of the FBI volunteering to assist private citizens with “background checks” before.

There was more small talk including the statement “we aren’t bad cops like on T.V. but we know there are bad cops out there”. And then the kicker statement was “it must be hard for anyone to get up your long driveway without you knowing it, huh?” To which I responded by shaking my head “yes”.

There was more small talk about my livestock the ranch,what I did for a living and I then offered them the opportunity to come to the next training seminar in July and they stated they “may have to check out the ‘website’ ”. I never gave them the web address but did point them to the July issue of SWAT Magazine article about our training and to the ‘Oathkeepers’ website.

They mentioned more than once ‘they weren’t worried about the shooting’ we were doing or any part of the firearms training we do here. We had notified the local sheriff prior to our first training April 2008. My wife actually called him at home and informed him of our meet-up training that included a shooting class and he seemed to be ok with it. She also notified our neighbors so they were not alarmed about the extra people, traffic and shooting without knowing what was going on.

I asked both agents for their business cards and again invited them to come to the training in July. At this time again, Mr. Youngblood said “he would be willing to run background checks on anyone I might be concerned with”. They both made a general statement about checking out the next training seminar, I can only wonder what their underlying purpose would be.

We then made polite good byes, said our thank you’s and shook hands. Mr. Youngblood stated as they were slowly walking back to their vehicle he had not had a chance to read my “No Trespassing” sign with it’s attached titles of code posted up the drive and they proceeded to their vehicle and drove off without incident. They murmured to each other when they read the sign words incomprehensible to me.

I was not intimidated or afraid but was very concerned as to what kind of threat I posed as an ex-serviceman, American citizen who had served his country not once but twice. With all the wrong going on in our country, the problems at the border, the bailout of crooked corporations, job loss, housing foreclosures, gang violence and human trafficking spilling over from Mexico I feel there are much more important issues they could be dealing with then hassling private citizens about preparedness training. After seeing and reading the recent DHS Report regarding right wing extremist’s and their definition of those considered a risk to national security, thinking about my Ron Paul bumper sticker on both our vehicles and the fact that I am against “bad government” and speak out on the radio and internet broadcasts I realize I am a threat to them if only by their own defined definition. It’s NOT because of the training but because I am preparing folks to be independent and aware of the downward path our country ‘I used to know and love’ is going. I also realize it is no longer a representative Republic and has been bankrupted by the elite. Therefore, I must be a threat. Does that make sense in this day and age? I have continued to wonder the real reason I appear as threat to National security and warrant the FBI’s attention, hmm.. self reliance, self sufficient, aware, concerned ex-military, able to be independent of power, speaks out……training others. the list builds of threats.

I don’t know my country anymore. It’s not the one I swore an oath “to defend against ALL enemies foreign and domestic” not once but twice. It is a foreign land, bankrupt and going down a road I see as fascist, awaiting once again for the ‘Renegades’ to make it once again a Republic, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. God save the Republic not the fascist system that fears its citizens.

John Gerrard

Oath Keepers on your Grocery Store Shelf?

2009-06-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Check out the July issue of SWAT magazine, now on sale at a news rack near you! You will find the full Oath Keepers declaration of orders we will not obey right there in a national magazine that is carried by many national chains, such as Borders Books.

S.W.A.T. Magazine has been extremely supportive of Oath Keepers and along with this article in the July issue, you'll find Oath Keeper ads throughout the magazine and also an article on Oath Keeper John Gerrard's school.

Reminder: The June 13 Rally in DC Was Canceled

2009-06-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

We posted a notice about this a while back, but just in case any of you missed it, the Gathering of Eagles rally in DC scheduled for tomorrow, June 13, was canceled. We Oath Keepers were going to take part in that rally, but Gathering of Eagles had to cancel because their funding fell through.

On the brighter side, we will be at a Tea Party rally in Bozeman Montana on July 4. And Oath Keepers representatives will be speaking at July 4 events and conducting oath ceremonies all over the country (and more invitations to speak are coming in all the time). We'll post details about all of that very soon.

For the Republic!

Oath Keepers

NEW OATH KEEPERS VIDEO! And Now For Something Completely Different ...

2009-06-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Much of what we post here is so serious that Jim Ayala, our video wizard, decided to make a video with a bit of humor in it while also pointing out that we are non-partisan, and we will oppose all who violate their oath of office, from the left or from the right.

This is also a good one to send your liberal friends ;)

And from now on, whenever we get some wanker asking (in a whining voice) "where were you for the past eight years while Bush was violating the Constitution" we are going to point them to this video and ask them "where are you, right now, while Obama does the same and worse?"

An Uplifting Song and Video: Calling All the Clans Together, by James Hooker

2009-06-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

We did it once. If we must, we´ll do it again. - James Hooker

That is the message of this inspiring song and video. Anyone with eyes to see should recognize that there is a political/economic "perfect storm" brewing on the horizon. We should not shut our eyes to it. As Patrick Henry said:

"For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it."

We must do likewise. But that doesn't mean we should despair. To the contrary, seeing fully what may lay ahead, it is nonetheless time we stood up and calmly resolved to follow in the hallowed footsteps of all those who have come before us, throughout human history, who have struggled and fought to be free. Let us do so with resolute hearts and grim determination, but also with the joy, love, and peace that comes from a people throwing off fear and showing the world what a free people can do even in hardship. As in the past, we shall rise to the occasion.

Remember always, that none of us get's out of here alive. What matters most is that our children and our grandchildren shall be free. That's all that matters. Remember the immortal words of Thomas Paine:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God. - Thomas Paine, The Crisis, 1776

Quote of the Day:

2009-06-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I can not do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of GOD, I will do."

Edward Everett Hale (decendent of Nathan Hale)

31 Year Veteran of Navy and Coast Guard Sounds Off

2009-06-09T02:06:00.000-07:00

Being an oath taker some 43 years ago, I never would have thought we as a nation could become so vulnerable from within. I've spent 31 years combined in the Navy and Coast Guard services as active and reserves to help keep the freedoms we enjoy. Thank GOD there are OATH KEEPERS, and it will be my pleasure to be counted as one.

Chief Bob

Thank you Chief! Proud to have you aboard. Not on our watch! - the Oath Keepers crew.

Air Force and Arkansas National Guard Veteran Remembers His Oath and One of the Planes He Worked On

2009-06-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

I worked on the KC-135A in the picture while stationed at Castle AFB, CA. I do not remember if it was still an A series, or had been converted to an R, but I do remember the tail number.

I was an Avionics Guidance and Control Supervisor from 1986 to 1991 at Castle AFB. I worked KC-135A & R and B-52G airframes while stationed there.

And yes, I do remember the oath I took back in 1980, and again in 1991 when I entered the 188th Fighter Wing, Arkansas Air National Guard. Although I retired in 2000, my ID still states I am Retired Reserve.

Paul W. Davis

I took an oath to preserve, protect and defend our beloved Constitution--not follow the fascist traitors in Washington (both sides of the aisle)

2009-06-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am a retired USAF Lt. Colonel (13 years active duty: 8 years Air Force Reserve Command) and was pleased to discover Oath Keepers. I took an oath to preserve, protect and defend our beloved Constitution--not follow the fascist traitors in Washington (both sides of the aisle) who continually chip away at the constitution and our Bill of Rights.

Here in Texas, I am the senate marshall of the 13th Congress of the republic of Texas. http://www.texasrepublic.info/

God bless your work, God bless the United States and may God bless the republic of Texas.

Steve Baysinger

San Antonio

republic of Texas

I took an oath to uphold, honor and preserve the US Constitution on two occasions: when I was inducted into the Army and when I became a lawyer

2009-06-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

My name is Stevan Douglas Looney. I live and work in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am a veteran of the US Army, where I was an infantry soldier ( 11 Bravo) from 1970 to 1972. After completing jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia, I was assigned to the 82nd Arbn Div. at Fort Bragg, NC. I was honorably discharged in March 1972.

I am a lawyer admitted to the Bar of New Mexico, the US Supreme Court, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the US Tax Court and the US District Court for the District of New Mexico. I have been practicing law for nearly 30 years.

I took an oath to uphold, honor and preserve the United States Constitution on two occasions: when I was inducted into the Army and when I became a lawyer. I took the oath very seriously on those occasions and I continue to take it very seriously today. My father was retired military and was a veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Two of my brothers served in the military. (My older brother surely would have too, but polio made that impossible for him.) I come from a family dedicated to the preservation of our Constitutional Republic. They, like I, have sworn to defend the United States of America from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

I have studied the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist Papers and the teachings of many political and economic thinkers, and much, much more.

Based upon my many years of study of the economic (including "money" and taxation), political and social conditions and forces at work in our country (and internationally), I am convinced that the greatest threat to our liberties and natural G-d given rights as recognized by the national Constitution and the state Constitutions, is from domestic enemies presently, and heretofore, ensconced in Congress, the Judiciary, the Executive, the mainstream media, the board rooms of supranational corporations, and particularly, the central banking system called the federal reserve in the US. Indeed, to me the root of all that ails us is to be found in the unconstitutional monetary and tax system and in international central banking.

My political and economic ideology and points of view are best depicted in the works of Edwin Vieira (Pieces Of Eight, Crash Maker, and his work on revitalization the Constitutional Militia), G. Edward Griffin (The Creature From Jekyll Island, Freedomforce), David Ray Griffin (exposing the contradictions in the official conspiracy theory of 9/11), among others. Putting my name into a search engine will yield some of the work I have been involved in, including pro bono work testifying before the New Mexico Legislature to impeach Bush and Cheney, seeking to ban the distribution of products in New Mexico containing aspartame, and seeking to protect the civil rights of persons who have been subjected to violations of their civil rights, e.g., Timothy "Little Rock" Reed and Ernest Garcia. I am also one of the founders of Veterans for 9/11 Truth. www.v911t.org

Time and space do not permit me to elaborate further here. Suffice it to say in closing that I will never in my personal or professional capacity knowingly and intentionally take any action that deprives any person of his or her G-d given and Constitutionally recognized rights, nor will I follow any order or direction that instructs me to do so, regardless of the source.

I pledge my support to We The People, the true, moral, ethical and lawful source of legitimate governmental power and authority.

Stevan Douglas Looney

I'm ex-Air Force 57-61, but I'm also an activist of 44 years,

2009-06-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Note; Kirwan is a well known artist who's work may look familiar, if you are a regular visitor to freedom related websites.

I'm ex-Air Force 57-61, but I'm also an activist of 44 years, who believes that this country is not doing what it must do according to the laws of this Republic, or in regard to our place among the community of nations, worldwide.

I have sent you several articles; and will on occasion, depending on the topic, probably send you others.

I don't need to be responded to, but you're welcome to use any part of what I send, if you find that it might have a bearing on the question at any given time.

Good luck to you; it's been too long since the voices that you represent have chosen to speak out;

but better late than never!

Kirwan

http://www.kirwanesque.com/politics/articles/articles.htm

My duty to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic did not end

2009-06-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

USMC Woman Marine;

I am an Oath Keeper. I recall my hand shaking as I took my oath of enlistment twice in 1973. It was serious then and we are in greater peril now.

My duty to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic did not end after four years. Our Republic is being stolen and I fear only the blood of Patriots will keep it now or in the future should it be wrested back. May the God Whom we've ignored have mercy upon each Oath Keeper.

Semper Fi

REMEMBERING D-DAY: Remember WHY they Fought and WHAT They Fought Against

2009-06-08T03:38:00.001-07:00

D-Day veteran salutes 3 Para as it performs a commemorative drop over the Pegasus Bridge. Read the article here.

Remember why they fought.

Remember what they fought.

They fought to stop Hitler's death machine and to free the people of Europe who had been enslaved by the invading Nazis. They fought against Fascism and Nazi-ism. They fought against totalitarianism. Remember that. And make damn sure that their sacrifice, their pain, suffering, disability, and death was not in vain.
Make damn sure that what they fought against over there is not allowed to happen here, at home. Not on our watch!

Sadly, we can see a similar pattern of expansion of dangerous power happening here, today, as happened in Germany in the 1930s. Claims of unlimited government "war" power, of extraordinary emergency powers, and a relentless consolidation of all powers into the hands of the few, and ultimately into the hands of "the One" as the executive branch has steadily, over several administrations, increased its claimed and de-facto powers.

As in Germany, we see the perversion of the law into a weapon of arbitrary oppression in the hands of whoever happens to hold power. We see the denial of individual rights and the creation of a second legal track for those accused of being enemies of the state. We see the expansion of war powers and their application against internal "enemies" of the state as well as against foreign enemies - we see a tearing down of any wall of separation between what can be done on a foreign battlefield and what the government claims the power to do here at home.

We see also a similar pattern of nationalization of local police, with federally funded "fusion centers" and multi-jurisdictional task forces increasingly blurring the lines between national and local, making the local police increasingly beholden to, and under the direction of, federal law enforcement. This is precisely what happened in German once the Nazis came to power - for the first time in German history the local police were nationalized and placed under the command of the internal police branch of the SS.And we see a similar pattern of relentless demonization and smearing of an ever expanding list of those the government considers "threats" - which is to say, threats to its goals.

Don't think for a moment that "it can't happen here." While we Americans certainly enjoy a legacy and heritage of liberty and resistance to tyranny far stronger than that of Germany, we are not immune to "it" happening here.

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right ...

And not only do we have a national government that increasingly acts like a fascist government regardless of which of the two major parties are in power - nationalizing industries, tearing down our Bill of Rights, setting aside the normal rule of law - we even have pathetic and treasonous American "national socialists" and "neo" - Nazis - and their slick apologists and front men - here among us who still worship Hitler and who deny the crimes of the Nazis. They have utterly no respect for what our Grandfathers and fathers did. To the contrary, they believe we fought on the wrong side in World War II and they wish the Nazis had prevailed.

Nazi Scum Then ....

Nazi Scum Now

They are as much collectivist enemies of our Constitutional Republic as any devoted communist. Though presently they are not nearly as powerful as the more ascendant brands of collectivists, they are cut from the same cloth. They too long for the destruction of this Republic so they can institute their own collectivist vision of a new America. Remember that.

So, honor those who fought totalitarianism by resolving to make sure 'it"does not happen here, in whatever flavor of totalitarian collectivism "it" may come in, from the so-called left or the so-called right.

Fight them all, because they are all the deadly enemies of our Republic, of the principles of our Declaration of Independence - which declared that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalianable rights - and deadly enemies of the individual liberty of all of our children.

Two Black Panthers block the entrance to a polling
center. Just for "security," of course. They wouldn't dream of intimidating any voters.

Collectivist Trash Using Intimidation Then .... and Now

Fight them all, to the death if need be, just like your fathers and grandfathers did on the beaches of Normandy and then across Europe, and from island to island in the bloody pacific.

Your fathers and Grandfathers were willing to give all, and all too many of them did just that. You are honor bound to do the same if you must.

You took the same oath they did, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. They kept their oath. You must keep yours. Remember, when you took that oath, you lost the option of ducking out.

Guardians of the Republic, honor your fathers. Honor your oath.

Oath Keepers

They Kept Their Promises. They Honored Their Oaths. Will You?

Here are three excellent articles on D-Day:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525263,00.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6438329.ece

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/06/03/dday.stories/

Here is General Eisenhower's address to the troops right before the invasion:

And here are just some of the men of D-Day who displayed uncommon courage as a common virtue among American fighting men:

The Normandy Invasion:
Medal of Honor Recipients

Found here.

BARRETT, CARLTON W.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944. Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Birth: Fulton, N.Y. G.O. No.: 78, 2 October 1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in the vicinity of St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France. On the morning of D-day Pvt. Barrett, landing in the face of extremely heavy enemy fire, was forced to wade ashore through neck-deep water. Disregarding the personal danger, he returned to the surf again and again to assist his floundering comrades and save them from drowning. Refusing to remain pinned down by the intense barrage of small-arms and mortar fire poured at the landing points, Pvt. Barrett, working with fierce determination, saved many lives by carrying casualties to an evacuation boat Iying offshore. In addition to his assigned mission as guide, he carried dispatches the length of the fire-swept beach; he assisted the wounded; he calmed the shocked; he arose as a leader in the stress of the occasion. His coolness and his dauntless daring courage while constantly risking his life during a period of many hours had an inestimable effect on his comrades and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

*BUTTS, JOHN E.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Co. E, 60th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: Normandy, France, 14, 16, and 23 June 1944. Entered service at: Buffalo, N.Y. Birth: Medina, N.Y. G.O. No.: 58, 19 July 1945. Citation: Heroically led his platoon against the enemy in Normandy, France, on 14, 16, and 23 June 1944. Although painfully wounded on the 14th near Orglandes and again on the 16th while spearheading an attack to establish a bridgehead across the Douve River, he refused medical aid and remained with his platoon. A week later, near Flottemanville Hague, he led an assault on a tactically important and stubbornly defended hill studded with tanks, antitank guns, pillboxes, and machinegun emplacements, and protected by concentrated artillery and mortar fire. As the attack was launched, 2d Lt. Butts, at the head of his platoon, was critically wounded by German machinegun fire. Although weakened by his injuries, he rallied his men and directed 1 squad to make a flanking movement while he alone made a frontal assault to draw the hostile fire upon himself. Once more he was struck, but by grim determination and sheer courage continued to crawl ahead. When within 10 yards of his objective, he was killed by direct fire. By his superb courage, unflinching valor and inspiring actions, 2d Lt. Butts enabled his platoon to take a formidable strong point and contributed greatly to the success of his battalion's mission.

*DEGLOPPER, CHARLES N.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Co. C, 325th Glider Infantry, 82d Airborne Division. Place and date: Merderet River at la Fiere, France, 9 June 1944. Entered service at: Grand Island, N.Y. Birth: Grand Island, N.Y. G.O. No.: 22, 28 February 1946. Citation: He was a member of Company C, 325th Glider Infantry, on 9 June 1944 advancing with the forward platoon to secure a bridgehead across the Merderet River at La Fiere, France. At dawn the platoon had penetrated an outer line of machineguns and riflemen, but in so doing had become cut off from the rest of the company. Vastly superior forces began a decimation of the stricken unit and put in motion a flanking maneuver which would have completely exposed the American platoon in a shallow roadside ditch where it had taken cover. Detecting this danger, Pfc. DeGlopper volunteered to support his comrades by fire from his automatic rifle while they attempted a withdrawal through a break in a hedgerow 40 yards to the rear. Scorning a concentration of enemy automatic weapons and rifle fire, he walked from the ditch onto the road in full view of the Germans, and sprayed the hostile positions with assault fire. He was wounded, but he continued firing. Struck again, he started to fall; and yet his grim determination and valiant fighting spirit could not be broken. Kneeling in the roadway, weakened by his grievous wounds, he leveled his heavy weapon against the enemy and fired burst after burst until killed outright. He was successful in drawing the enemy action away from his fellow soldiers, who continued the fight from a more advantageous position and established the first bridgehead over the Merderet. In the area where he made his intrepid stand his comrades later found the ground strewn with dead Germans and many machineguns and automatic weapons which he had knocked out of action. Pfc. DeGlopper's gallant sacrifice and unflinching heroism while facing unsurmountable odds were in great measure responsible for a highly important tactical victory in the Normandy Campaign.

EHLERS, WALTER D.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and dare: Near Goville, France, 9-10 June 1944. Entered service at: Manhattan, Kans. Birth: Junction City, Kans. G.O. No.: 91, 19 December 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9-10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.

*COLE, ROBERT G.

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Carentan, France, 11 June 1944. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Birth: Fort Sam Houston, Tex. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty on 11 June 1944, in France. Lt. Col. Cole was personally leading his battalion in forcing the last 4 bridges on the road to Carentan when his entire unit was suddenly pinned to the ground by intense and withering enemy rifle, machinegun, mortar, and artillery fire placed upon them from well-prepared and heavily fortified positions within 150 yards of the foremost elements. After the devastating and unceasing enemy fire had for over 1 hour prevented any move and inflicted numerous casualties, Lt. Col. Cole, observing this almost hopeless situation, courageously issued orders to assault the enemy positions with fixed bayonets. With utter disregard for his own safety and completely ignoring the enemy fire, he rose to his feet in front of his battalion and with drawn pistol shouted to his men to follow him in the assault. Catching up a fallen man's rifle and bayonet, he charged on and led the remnants of his battalion across the bullet-swept open ground and into the enemy position. His heroic and valiant action in so inspiring his men resulted in the complete establishment of our bridgehead across the Douve River. The cool fearlessness, personal bravery, and outstanding leadership displayed by Lt. Col. Cole reflect great credit upon himself and are worthy of the highest praise in the military service.

*DEFRANZO, ARTHUR F.

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Vaubadon, France, 10 June 1944. Entered service at: Saugus, Mass. Birth: Saugus, Mass. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, on 10 June 1944, near Vaubadon, France. As scouts were advancing across an open field, the enemy suddenly opened fire with several machineguns and hit 1 of the men. S/Sgt. DeFranzo courageously moved out in the open to the aid of the wounded scout and was himself wounded but brought the man to safety. Refusing aid, S/Sgt. DeFranzo reentered the open field and led the advance upon the enemy. There were always at least 2 machineguns bringing unrelenting fire upon him, but S/Sgt. DeFranzo kept going forward, firing into the enemy and 1 by 1 the enemy emplacements became silent. While advancing he was again wounded, but continued on until he was within 100 yards of the enemy position and even as he fell, he kept firing his rifle and waving his men forward. When his company came up behind him, S/Sgt. DeFranzo, despite his many severe wounds, suddenly raised himself and once more moved forward in the lead of his men until he was again hit by enemy fire. In a final gesture of indomitable courage, he threw several grenades at the enemy machinegun position and completely destroyed the gun. In this action, S/Sgt. DeFranzo lost his life, but by bearing the brunt of the enemy fire in leading the attack, he prevented a delay in the assault which would have been of considerable benefit to the foe, and he made possible his company's advance with a minimum of casualties. The extraordinary heroism and magnificent devotion to duty displayed by S/Sgt. DeFranzo was a great inspiration to all about him, and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.

*KELLY, JOHN D.

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant (then Corporal), U.S. Army, Company E, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Place and date: Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, 25 June 1944. Entered service at: Cambridge Springs, Pa. Birth: Venango Township, Pa. G.O. No.: 6, 24 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On 25 June 1944, in the vicinity of Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, when Cpl. Kelly's unit was pinned down by heavy enemy machinegun fire emanating from a deeply entrenched strongpoint on the slope leading up to the fort, Cpl. Kelly volunteered to attempt to neutralize the strongpoint. Arming himself with a pole charge about 10 feet long and with 15 pounds of explosive affixed, he climbed the slope under a withering blast of machinegun fire and placed the charge at the strongpoint's base. The subsequent blast was ineffective, and again, alone and unhesitatingly, he braved the slope to repeat the operation. This second blast blew off the ends of the enemy guns. Cpl. Kelly then climbed the slope a third time to place a pole charge at the strongpoint's rear entrance. When this had been blown open he hurled hand grenades inside the position, forcing survivors of the enemy guncrews to come out and surrender The gallantry, tenacity of purpose, and utter disregard for personal safety displayed by Cpl. Kelly were an incentive to his comrades and worthy of emulation by all.

*MONTEITH, JIMMIE W., JR.

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Colleville-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944. Entered service at: Richmond, Va. Born: 1 July 1917, Low Moor, Va. G.O. No.: 20, 29 March 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, near Colleville-sur-Mer, France. 1st Lt. Monteith landed with the initial assault waves on the coast of France under heavy enemy fire. Without regard to his own personal safety he continually moved up and down the beach reorganizing men for further assault. He then led the assault over a narrow protective ledge and across the flat, exposed terrain to the comparative safety of a cliff. Retracing his steps across the field to the beach, he moved over to where 2 tanks were buttoned up and blind under violent enemy artillery and machinegun fire. Completely exposed to the intense fire, 1st Lt. Monteith led the tanks on foot through a minefield and into firing positions. Under his direction several enemy positions were destroyed. He then rejoined his company and under his leadership his men captured an advantageous position on the hill. Supervising the defense of his newly won position against repeated vicious counterattacks, he continued to ignore his own personal safety, repeatedly crossing the 200 or 300 yards of open terrain under heavy fire to strengthen links in his defensive chain. When the enemy succeeded in completely surrounding 1st Lt. Monteith and his unit and while leading the fight out of the situation, 1st Lt. Monteith was killed by enemy fire. The courage, gallantry, and intrepid leadership displayed by 1st Lt. Monteith is worthy of emulation.

OGDEN, CARLOS C.

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company K, 314th Infantry, 79th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Fort du Roule, France, 25 June 1944. Entered service at: Fairmont, Ill. Born: 19 May 1917, Borton, Ill. G.O. No.: 49, 28 June 1945. Citation: On the morning of 25 June 1944, near Fort du Roule, guarding the approaches to Cherbourg, France, 1st Lt. Ogden's company was pinned down by fire from a German 88-mm. gun and 2 machineguns. Arming himself with an M-1 rifle, a grenade launcher, and a number of rifle and handgrenades, he left his company in position and advanced alone, under fire, up the slope toward the enemy emplacements. Struck on the head and knocked down by a glancing machinegun bullet, 1st Lt. Ogden, in spite of his painful wound and enemy fire from close range, continued up the hill. Reaching a vantage point, he silenced the 88mm. gun with a well-placed rifle grenade and then, with handgrenades, knocked out the 2 machineguns, again being painfully wounded. 1st Lt. Ogden's heroic leadership and indomitable courage in alone silencing these enemy weapons inspired his men to greater effort and cleared the way for the company to continue the advance and reach its objectives.

*PEREGORY, FRANK D.

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K 116th Infantry, 29th Infantry Division. Place and date: Grandcampe France, 8 June 1944. Entered service at: Charlottesville, Va. Born. 10 April 1915, Esmont, Va. G.O. No.: 43, 30 May 1945. Citation: On 8 June 1944, the 3d Battalion of the 116th Infantry was advancing on the strongly held German defenses at Grandcampe, France, when the leading elements were suddenly halted by decimating machinegun fire from a firmly entrenched enemy force on the high ground overlooking the town. After numerous attempts to neutralize the enemy position by supporting artillery and tank fire had proved ineffective, T/Sgt. Peregory, on his own initiative, advanced up the hill under withering fire, and worked his way to the crest where he discovered an entrenchment leading to the main enemy fortifications 200 yards away. Without hesitating, he leaped into the trench and moved toward the emplacement. Encountering a squad of enemy riflemen, he fearlessly attacked them with handgrenades and bayonet, killed 8 and forced 3 to surrender. Continuing along the trench, he single-handedly forced the surrender of 32 more riflemen, captured the machine gunners, and opened the way for the leading elements of the battalion to advance and secure its objective. The extraordinary gallantry and aggressiveness displayed by T/Sgt. Peregory are exemplary of the highest tradition of the armed forces.

*PINDER, JOHN J., JR.

Rank and organization: Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Colleville-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944. Entered .service at: Burgettstown, Pa. Birth: McKees Rocks, Pa. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1945. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, near Colleville-sur-Mer, France. On D-day, Technician 5th Grade Pinder landed on the coast 100 yards off shore under devastating enemy machinegun and artillery fire which caused severe casualties among the boatload. Carrying a vitally important radio, he struggled towards shore in waist-deep water. Only a few yards from his craft he was hit by enemy fire and was gravely wounded. Technician 5th Grade Pinder never stopped. He made shore and delivered the radio. Refusing to take cover afforded, or to accept medical attention for his wounds, Technician 5th Grade Pinder, though terribly weakened by loss of blood and in fierce pain, on 3 occasions went into the fire-swept surf to salvage communication equipment. He recovered many vital parts and equipment, including another workable radio. On the 3rd trip he was again hit, suffering machinegun bullet wounds in the legs. Still this valiant soldier would not stop for rest or medical attention. Remaining exposed to heavy enemy fire, growing steadily weaker, he aided in establishing the vital radio communication on the beach. While so engaged this dauntless soldier was hit for the third time and killed. The indomitable courage and personal bravery of Technician 5th Grade Pinder was a magnificent inspiration to the men with whom he served.

*ROOSEVELT, THEODORE, JR.

Rank and organization: brigadier general, U.S. Army. Place and date: Normandy invasion, 6 June 1944. Entered service at: Oyster Bay, N.Y. Birth: Oyster Bay, N.Y. G.O. No.: 77, 28 September 1944. Citation: for gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in France. After 2 verbal requests to accompany the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership, assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful establishment of the beachhead in France.

* - Denotes a posthumous award

Honor and the Oath

2009-06-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sir,

USAF (1965-1969). E-4.

I don't do YouTube or FaceBook or any of those on-line trips.

However, I will honor the oath I took.

Respectfully,

James Chipp Jaroch

Police Family Says, "We Have the Oath Keepers "10" on Our Front Door"

2009-06-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

On the Door of an Officer's Home: The Oath Keepers "10" is Posted in the Upper Right Corner

I just watched the Alex Jones video on your website - great. FYI - the word is getting out and a lot of LEO/military are on board, including my husband (LEO), brother (LEO) and some friends (current military). We have the Oath Keepers "10" on our front door.

God Bless and Stay Frosty,

Jean Blandino (proud Patriot and defender of our Constitution)

Shock and Awe: Montana Vietnam Vet Elias Alias Sounds Off on the Imposter Government That Now Considers We the People Its Enemy

2009-06-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Elias at Chu Lai Marine Corps base, 1967

NOTE: Vietnam veteran Elias Alias (read his testimonial here) posted the following as a comment in response to my piece about Obama considering a "preventive detention" system. Just as his testimonial was excellent and very thought provoking (I highly recommend you read it) I find this latest write up by Elias to be thought provoking and thus deserving of a blog post of its own - Stewart.

Shock And Awe

by Elias Alias

I'm sure I'm not the only American who is in shock after having discovered *what* has kidnapped our once-representative government. The government which our Founders created has been silently replaced by an imposter government which stands now poised to levy our own law enforcement and military against us at random, based on a distant centralized government's opinion only. No due process. No charges.

The MIAC report this past February was a loud and clear announcement of governmental intent, and it revealed how every American is now a potential enemy of the government. I'm a threat to this government because I supported Ron Paul in last year's campaign. And in April of this year the DHS noted that returning war veterans are potentially dangerous to this government.

I am in shock, and I am in awe of a centralized power such as this, which will unabashedly belch forth this kind of treason against the very people who support the Constitution. The irony is that the Constitution which now appears to this government to be an encumbrance and an obstruction to this government's objectives, is the very document which birthed the Federal government in the first place.

Have we the people lost our minds, or has our government lost its way? Worse, has our government been replaced by an imposter government? Is this government representing the will of the people? Does it reflect our values, our morality, our ethic, our home and family, our very souls? And does this government itself not now threaten our very security?

I say this government is not the government created by our nation's Founders. I am here to remind this imposter government that my oath was to the constitution and not to any government which cannot honor that founding legal charter.

Herein we see the great need for, and value in, Oath Keepers. Take cheer, good soldiers! The Beast has shown its hideous face in governmental proclamation, intrusive and offensive legislation, usurpation of this nation's monetary issuance, and a fascism consisting of the marriage of Wall Street and Washington D.C. The government itself has demarked our line in the sand. Now Americans are rearranging in our minds and hearts the order of allegiance and obedience to the government, and our allegiance and obedience to our individual consciences, to our homes, to our families and relatives, to our local neighborhoods, to our industry, to our commerce amongst ourselves, to our religious freedom, to our stated and enumerated inalienable rights as individual human beings, to our inherent right and ability to govern ourselves.

Though the world itself be swallowed up by this New World Order, and though their emissaries are now congregated in the very heart of our Judicial, Executive, and Legislative bodies, and though the financial powers of globalism march to assimilate our beloved America, we, the people, are yet afforded one more opportunity to awaken to our peril and to rise up against this iron net of tyranny, and reclaim our great nation for the people and our posterity.

All we need to do this is the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, as written - that, and the willful awakening of our good neighbors across this land to the true nature and spirit of this Federalized threat. Too long we have slept in a bed made of convenience, creature comforts, and constitutional concessions, and all the while, as we peaceful people slept, those who sought to conquer us from within have tip-toed into our very seats of governmental power.

And now to attempt an answer for a question posted recently here - It is my view that nothing needs to be "organized" outside a dedicated organized approach to spreading the word of the truths which today are readily visible to anyone who seeks the truth. This is a personal battle for each one of us, for all Americans individually.

Laws which empower an impersonal government over we citizens are not cherished by the letter and spirit of our founding documents. I will not list here the roles played by the NEA, the AMA, the AHA, the great tax-exempt Foundations, the Federal Reserve, the IRS, covert departments in our Intelligence community, etc. The thrust and aim of governmental edict today says it all more plainly than any recital of 20th Century history.

The government takes it for granted that it has the entire might and force of the U.S. Defense Department and the Justice Department, which includes a nationally-interfaced law enforcement community, arrayed against us.

But the recent slap in the face of patriots, constitutionalists, military personnel, and veterans by the MIAC and DHS reports has awakened Our LEOs and Service personnel to the true nature of today's ills. And they are our family members and our neighbors, and fellow patriots who believe in doing the right thing, and they increasingly understand that the future of their own families, the well being and freedom of their own children, is at stake. Educating them is the surest sword we can wield, as the testimonies on this website reveal. Oath Keepers is not advocating the violation of any law. Oath Keepers is simply asking government to obey its own laws, that we might follow suit.

And Oath Keepers is asking all Oath Takers to honor their oaths with sacred gravity. That should be all that is necessary to reclaim our beloved country. So we advocate spreading the education of our Constitution, and illustrating to one and all how this current imposter government is operating outside the legal charter which created it and commissioned it to serve we the people.

I think that is about as American as it gets. We are the people. We are the true source of all power. And we can rescind our once-granted powers, until such time as that imposter is exposed and abandoned, left to fall of its own dead weight. Many brave law enforcement officers and active duty military have come in here and given their word publicly to uphold and honor their oaths.

Let us hold their spirit closely inside our hearts, and let us speak out at rallies, Tea Parties, and other public outreach activities. The powers have lost control over the flow of information, as Basil Fishbone has noted, and our awakening knowledge is now available to the masses, thanks to Al Gore's gift of the Internet [wink]. I am encouraged by the content of this young website. Our only mission is spreading the meaning contained in that oath to the Constitution.

Oath Keepers belongs to no political party, nor to any corporate lobby. We belong to you. United we shall stand, and, in this country at least, the New World Order shall fall.

I close with this missive -

“In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipotent, teacher. For good or ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. If government becomes a lawbreaker it breeds contempt for the law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy.” ~ Justice Louis D. Brandeis

Salute!
Elias

May 25, 2009 9:57 PM

Brother and Sister Team up to "Stick together" and "Stand to"

2009-06-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Out beautiful country is going to hell in a handbasket quickly. We all need to stick together.

I too took The Oath and plan on keeping it!!!!!

God Bless America
Michelle Sargent

I am an honorably discharged Staff Sergeant with the U. S. Marine Corps , and the oath I took 37 years ago to defend and protect the United States of America still rings loud and clear with me and even more so now that our nation is being destroyed by clueless and ungrateful people .

Please add me to your roster and if I can be of service I will ' Stand to ' .

R / S
Charles Pierson

NEVER GIVE UP

2009-06-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

I first took the oath in 1956 when I joined the Navy. Then again in 1963 when I enlisted in the Army volunteering for the newly formed Special Forces.

Have eight years of active duty and almost 21 in the active reserve (all Special Forces), retiring in '96. My civilian job was a police officer on Torrance PD. So you see, I've taken the OATH many times.

My son, back from Afghanistan where he received a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and CIB is now getting ready for deployment to Iraq. He also is an OATH keeper and ready as I am to defend that OATH.

Thank you for all that you are doing and offering the opportunity to be a member of this proud group.

David Rede (Laulainen) Hancock
Master Sergeant 18ZULU (Ret)
U.S.Army Special Forces

Go over, go under, go around, go through NEVER GIVE UP
Si vis Pacem, Para Bellum

Active Duty Serviceman Gives His Promise to America

2009-06-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

I am currently serving in the military and I want to vow that I will NOT follow blindly the un-lawful orders of anyone. I wish more people were aware of the situation our county is in. I will do everything in my power to spread the word around my duty station and may God help and bless the true upstanding people of this land.

-Clay Bruggeman

We took oaths both in the Army and the Police Agencies

2009-06-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

As an honorably discharged Vietnam Vet/Disabled police officer, I swear to keep my oaths.

I served with the Engineers in Vietnam 70/71 and took my Oath at an Affees station in the Midwest, then served eight years after Nam with the Army, and twenty years thereafter on the Police Department.

We took oaths both in the Army and the Police Agencies where I worked, both required an allegiance to the Constitution of the United States.

Now I hear that our new President wishes the Troops to swear not allegiance to the Constitution, but to the President of the United States!!

Soon he will have them saying Heil Obama!

I will, if called upon, defend our Constitution if I have to crawl up on them and bite them on their ankles. We who have served and fought in our nations past TWO major wars, in Korea and Vietnam, know that we fought and KILLED communists, now our leaders are pushing us closer and closer to a totalitarian government that wishes to care for us from the cradle to the grave. These were the plans of Marx and Lenin, and moved forward by Stalin.

Vet Ordered to Remove Marine Corps Bumper Stickers

2009-06-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

Read comments on the video here.

Read an article on it here.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

2009-06-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

THE OATH IN NAZI GERMANY:

I swear by God this Sacred oath:

That I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler

Fuhrer of the German Reich and people,

Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces

And that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier.

To give my life for this oath …

The above is a clip from the recent film Valkyrie (an excellent movie. Highly recommended).

THE OATH IN AMERICA:

The American officer's oath:

"I, _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The American enlisted oath:

I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

In Nazi Germany, the oath was to Hitler and Hitler alone, and it was to obey unconditionally any order Hitler gave. Notice that not a word was said about the German constitution. This was because in Germany Hitler himself was the law and every order he gave was thus "lawful," no matter how absurd or heinous.

In America, the oath is first and foremost to the Constitution, not to any man. Notice that the officer's oath does not even mention the president.

And even though the enlisted oath includes a section about obeying the orders of the president and officers, that obedience is not unconditional. This is because our constitutional republic is supposed to be under the rule of law, not the rule of men, with the Constitution being the supreme law of the land, not the orders of the president. The orders of the president and of commissioned officers must be lawful, in accordance with the uniform code of military justice and the laws of the United States.

In America, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, not the mere words of any man, as it was in Nazi Germany.

See the difference?

Oath Keepers

Testimonial of Father of DHS Officer

2009-06-01T00:50:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Below is the testimonial of the father to the DHS officer Kirt McClain, who, rather ironically, was the first person to get an Oath Keepers tattoo (that we know of). Go here to read officer McClain's testimonial. Well, looks like Kirt's stepping up inspired his father to do the same. Like father like son, and vis versa! - Oath Keepers.

Oath Keepers on the Inside - The first Oath Keepers Tattoo is On the Shoulder of a DHS Officer

Now it's Dad's turn to sound off:

I too am an Oath Keeper

Thank goodness for my son, Kirt McClain. Because of him, I no longer feel as helpless and frustrated as I have for a long time now. His testimonial was a reaffirmation of what I’ve known for some time now, that it has come to this, here and now, and we are here for a reason.

I didn’t plan to be involved in such a pivotal time and scenario either, but it is here, and there is nothing more natural or right in this world than to answer the call. The blank check I signed back in 77 is still there, only the recipients have changed!

This is the unit patch from my favorite unit of all that I served with, strangely enough a Continental Air Defense unit, which got its start with American volunteers flying Spitfires in North Africa in '42, hence the name “Spitten Kittens.”

Last week, during a conversation with a co-worker about the assault on our second amendment rights which we claim, he asked me, “well, what are you going to do about it?” I told him I would stand up and be counted, and do whatever is necessary.

With an incredulous look on his face, he asked, “really?”

“Of course!” was my response.

In that instant it became clear to me. Our kinship with our founding fathers (by that I mean All who answered the call) can have never been stronger than right now. And those in government have never been further away from them in our nation’s history.

Has anyone else noticed that we don’t have anyone of the caliber of Thomas Jefferson or Patrick Henry or many others in our government? Not one! Of course, could one pull a Jurassic Park and bring them back, I doubt they would be well received by the privileged elite in Washington.

I am the son of an immigrant, and all of us are related to one at some point. When he (my dad) became a citizen, through hard work freely given, he treasured what this country stands for, and would say so in any of the seven languages that he spoke. He worked as a volunteer after his teaching career and gave back what he could. I know he would stand with us today. How things (and some people) have changed.

In parting (for now), I would leave you with this final thought (thanks for staying with me this long):

I was born into a first world country to the taste of freedom, which I wish all mankind could share, even with all its imperfections. I do not intend to die under different conditions than those in which I was born, I will not go quietly into the night and disappear for the convenience of those who do not know or care about the principles for which this nation was founded!

My name is Steve Spandorf

20 year Air Force Veteran [currently working for a "major space agency"]

And you may tell them all.

Thank you.

Keeping Your Oath: NOT Just Following Orders

2009-05-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The below article was originally published in the April, 2008 issue of S.W.A.T. Magazine, but is republished here with S.W.A.T.'s generous permission. Because I wrote this article back in January, 2008, I didn't know who would win the nominations for either party, much less who would be president, so I used the hypothetical of Hillary Clinton as President (I think it safe to say she was the average S.W.A.T. reader's worst nightmare back then). When you read it, just replace Hitlery with Obama, Holder, and Rahm Emanuel (who you can picture wearing the Chairman Mao signature pant- suit, if you like). You can see that I was thinking a great deal about the meaning of our oath back then, well over a year ago, while I worked as a volunteer for the Ron Paul campaign in Nevada. That's about the time I first got the idea to start Oath Keepers. - Stewart Rhodes

Just Following Orders

By Stewart Rhodes

S.W.A.T Magazine, April 2008

"if a police state comes to America, it will ultimately be by your hands. That is a harsh reality, but you had better come to terms with it now, and resolve to not let it happen on your watch."

In a recent letter to this magazine, J.R. Uhl, Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret

.) observed that “[t]he Constitution and our Bill of Rights are gravely endangered today, and this community [of military, veterans, and law enforcement] is where they will be saved, if they are to be saved at all!” The Colonel is absolutely right.

“It” (a full-blown totalitarian police state) cannot happen here if the majority of police and soldiers obey their oaths to defend the Constitution and refuse to enforce the unconstitutional edicts of the "Leader."

Imagine that Herr Hitlery is sworn in as president in 2009. After a conveniently timed “domestic terrorism” incident (just a coincidence, of course) or yet another Prozac

induced mass shooting, she promptly crams a United Nations mandated, Great Britain style, total ban on the private possession of firearms through a compliant, Democratically controlled Congress. Dressed in her favorite Chairman Mao signature pantsuit, Hitlery signs the ban into law with the obligatory choir of sell-out police chiefs as backdrop (just like the good ol days when Bill Clinton used the oval office).

But Hitlery, having a much larger pair, goes further, proclaiming a nationa

l emergency and declaring the entire militia movement (and anyone else Morris Dees labels “extremists”) to be “enemy combatants.” Using precedents established by Bush, Hitlery declares that such citizens are subject to secret military detention without indictment or jury trial, “enhanced” interrogation techniques, and trial before a military tribunal hand-picked by the dominatrix-in-chief herself. Hitlery then orders police, National Guard troops and active military to go house-to-house to disarm the American people and “black-bag” those on a list of “known terrorists,” with orders to shoot all resisters.

Would You "Just Follow Orders"?

Would you do it? Would you just follow orders to shoot your fellow Americans? Without you and your brothers in arms to enforce her decrees, Hitlery would be powerless to do any

thing but fume and throw things at Bill. It is you who really holds the final veto, and if a police state comes to America, it will ultimately be by your hands. That is a harsh reality, but you had better come to terms with it now, and resolve to not let it happen on your watch.

A Story About Resolve

Speaking of resolve, I have a story. After the Army, I attended College and took a class on the Holocaust, where we read Browning’s Ordinary Men, concerning German

Ordnungspolizei (Order Police) Reserve Unit 101. Those reserve policemen were not Nazi fanatics, but, out of obedience to authority and peer pressure, they still obeyed orders to shoot entire Jewish families, usually old men, women and children.

German Ordnungspolizei (Order Police) Just Following Orders.

The professor, a proud socialist, told the class that no rational person could possibly say with certainty that he would not do the same. I strongly disagreed, saying I was absolutely certain I would not obey orders to shoot women and children - I would instead shoot the officer giving me that order, right through the head.

The shocked professor declared that I had the same sort of resolute certainty as the Nazis, and such certainty was dangerous. A delicate metro-sexual male student, apparently seeking approval, proclaimed that he could not say he would refuse to follow the orders.

I turned to him in disbelief, asking, “you can’t say for sure you would not shoot old women and little kids?” His answer: “I’d rather be a live coward, than a dead hero.” I kid you not. And the rest of the class sat silent, none taking my side. At that moment, I understood wha

t H. L. Mencken meant when he said “every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.” Only in the sheltered ivory towers of academia is such craven cowardice considered a virtue, and resolve considered a vice.

More Obedient German Police, Just Following Orders - to Shoot Women and Children. Do NOT Let This Happen Here.

I later lambasted their absurdity and cowardice in an editorial in the college paper, pointing out that if anyone had suggested to the 18 and 19 year old boys on board the troop transports the night before the landings at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, or Normandy that they could not possibly know if they would follow through the next day, the boys would have looked at them like they had two heads. Of course they knew what they were going to do – just what they had trained to do. And the vast majority did just that. My father in law was among them. At 16, he lied about his age to join the Marines on December 10, 1941 (just three days after Pearl Harbor), to fight the Imperial Japanese Army – and he did just that, at Iwo.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

John Adams: Enlistment date - December 10, 1941. Now that's what you call stepping up!

And here was this socialist professor proclaiming that anyone who has such resolve is ipso-facto like a Nazi! It was the professor and his cowardly students, ironically, who are exactly the kind of people a totalitarian regime loves to have carry out its orders - people so without conviction, so concerned with their own safety, so empty of honor that they will do anything commanded of them just to live their miserable lives a while longer.

A Snapshot of Resolve: The Marines Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. Who Do YOU Identify With?

Who do you identify with? The spineless waste of oxygen that would shoot little kids to save his own miserable hide, or those young men who knowingly waded into hell to defend liberty?

Just as you have honed your mental trigger in advance and trained yourself to respond effectively against physical threats, you must prepare yourself in advance to take a stand against unconstitutional (and thus illegal), or immoral orders and so-called laws. You must play a “what if” game with those questions as well, decide how you will react, and visualize yourself doing it – just like you do when preparing for future combat. Just as I know beyond a doubt that I would lay down my life in defense of my wife and children, I know I would gladly give what is left of my life to ensure that they live in a free country, and no doubt you feel the same about your kids.

To secure that liberty, and to ensure that your sons grow to be "sons of liberty" who stand tall, speak the truth, and keep their oaths, you must be a son of liberty who stands tall and keeps his oath, even if by doing so you risk your job, your pension, your liberty, or your life.

- Stewart Rhodes, S.W.A.T. Magazine, April, 2008.

Postscript: According to Wikipedia, the German police forces "were brought together on a national basis for the first time in German history by an act of the German Interior Ministry in the summer of 1936. The act decreed that the regular German police forces were to be absorbed into the SS, which would then incorporate all local, state, and national level law enforcement agencies." Take heed, because history does indeed repeat itself. Guard with jealous suspicion your local autonomy and your state sovereignty. Do NOT allow your local and state police forces to be federalized and absorbed by the national government. Make that a very firm line in the sand.

www.oathkeepers.org

NOTE: The publisher and the editor of S.W.A.T. Magazine are true patriots and fully support the Oath Keepers mission. They also happen to put out one heck of a fine publication. Check it out and consider subscribing. You may forward or repost this article for non-profit purposes so long as you give credit to the author and to S.W.A.T. Magazine and include a link to www.oathkeepers.org

OPERATION SOLDIER ASSIST: Adopt a Service Member and Send Letters and Care Packages

2009-05-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

We here at Oath Keepers are proud to tell you about a great support the troops organization called "Operation Soldier Assist" that makes it easy for you to adopt a deployed service member of any branch (don't let the name throw you off) and send them letters and care packages.

We fully support the mission of Operation Soldier Assist and they fully support the Oath Keepers mission as well. When you visit their website, you will see that they have posted our declaration of ten orders we will not obey and our full length video prominently on the home page of their site. We here at Oath Keepers look forward to working with Operation Soldier Assist in any way we can to help out, and we encourage you do do the same.

What you can do now:

Please take the time to visit http://www.soldierassist.com/ and sign up to adopt a current serving soldier, Marine, airman, sailor or coastie. If we all do it, we can make sure that all of them get the items they need while on deployment and we can make sure they know they are not forgotten here at home.

This is a very worthy cause, so please sign up and do your part. Consider it part of keeping your oath. Let those who are serving now know that you have their "6" here at home. And note that you can contribute all kinds of items the troops really need, not just pogie bate! See the description below for details.

NOTE: If you are a current serving active duty military service member and wish to be adopted by someone through Operation Soldier Assist, please go here (http://www.soldierassist.com/adopt.html) to sign up for that. Also, if you know a service member you would like to see adopted, please send them the above link.

For the Republic!

The Oath Keepers Crew

More information from the Operation Soldier Assist website:

Army • Navy • Air Force • Marines U.S. Coast Guard

Special Note: We are not a "SOLDIER" only support group.
We adopt and support "ALL" deployed military personnel!

Welcome, my name is Blaine, I am the founder of OSA/SoldierAssist.com and my hope and number one request is that you would adopt-a-troop. What does "adopt" in this case mean? Glad you asked! It means that you commit to writing a letter each week and sending a package once a month. I started OSA with the hope of getting our deployed personnel adopted out to the public, so that they would be encouraged while in Iraq, Afghanistan or any of the 100 plus countries we have troops stationed. Our visitors have not disappointed us. In our first two years, our visitors have adopted 500 troops! We were very happy about this but of course we hope to do more.

We often get letters requesting adoption and support because the government hired contractors are charging way to much at the base stores. Some just wish to have someone to write to and visit with. Most need some sort of help with the items listed below. Items needed include: personal hygiene items, books, magazines, CD's, DVD's, boots, and new uniforms items. I know some may feel that boots and new uniform items are over the top, there NOT. Remember a gift is not a gift if it costs you nothing, and this is truly about helping those who defend our country and need support.

A uniform allowance is given to military personnel but in most cases the troops forfeit many normal needs to cover their uniform costs and of course, most of them send their pay home to support their families. Please consider helping, you will enjoy visiting with the person you adopt and will encourage them greatly with your support. The above items are just examples, you decide how you will support your own troop. We just ask you to put yourself in their place and think of what you would like for help. Thanks again for visiting us and please tell your friends about SoldierAssist.com
- Blaine P. Ducote Sr.
Founder OSA

http://www.soldierassist.com/

I have been and will always be a Oathkeeper!!!!

2009-05-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Oathkeepers

My family came to this Country in 1638 and my family has served and died for this Country. The USN Made me take the oath 5 times, I don't think they believed me.

Anyway I have been and will always be a Oathkeeper!!!!

Irod Folsom MM3 USN

I'll keep my Freedom, my guns, and Liberty;

2009-05-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

I support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and Domestic, so help me God.

I'll keep my Freedom, my guns, and Liberty; they can keep 'the change'.

R.D. Maust

MSGT, USAF (Ret)

Testimonial of Current Serving Arizona Corrections Officer

2009-05-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

I Jay C. Bolland do hereby solemnly swear to PROTECT and DEFEND the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, FOREIGN and DOMESTIC, so help me God!

Please add this to the site. I may be the first of my fellow correctional officers to post with oath keepers, I hope I'm not the last. May the flame of liberty become a wild fire in the hearts of men and may it spread across the land from sea to shining sea!

Long live the REPUBLIC,
Sgt. J.C. Bolland

OATH KEEPERS: Thank you Sgt. Bolland. As a matter of fact, just yesterday we posted a testimonial from a corrections officer from New Jersey, who goes by "The Brushwolf." Our hats go off to both of you. OK

With a pen and a sword.

2009-05-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

I remember taking the oath the on July 16th, 1985. Right before I boarded a plane that was to take me to Parris Island. That oath asked me to; "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" I remembered how it made me feel. Like I had finally become an adult and Citizen of this country. I had grown up with no other wish than to serve in the military since I was very young. It did not occur to me to do anything else.

What came after would work itself out. I just wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father, uncles, cousins and grandfathers. Well, due to a leg injury during training it was not to be. I was handed my DD214 and sent on my way.

Needless to say it took me a few years to find my path in life again.

I never forgot however that I was tasked with stewardship of what my family has fought for since coming to this country in the 1850's. They had served in every major conflict from then to Vietnam. Even though I was denied my chance to serve my country in the line, I always felt I needed to step up and safeguard that which had been paid for in blood, sweat and tears of my ancestors.

I was able to take the pride, loyalty, and concern for our most cherished values and defend them not with a gun, but with a voice and a pen. But it seems to have been effective as a pebble facing a high tide of ignorance, laziness, stupidity and malfeasance, if not outright treason. It has been a red riptide at work day and night to undercut all which had been built by our founding fathers and the following brave generations. We live in dark times, not our first but our most perilous. Through the years our freedoms numerated in the founding documents have been chipped away by those who also took an oath to protect and defend them. We are to the point that we are in the endgame. The next few years will decide if we are to be the great bastion of freedom or if we are Rome with the enemy at the gates.

No matter what comes, Wherever the fight may be, whomever the enemy is, foreign or domestic, you will find me living my oath, defending our God given rights from those who would enslave us. Be it the power hungry tyro backed by the brain dead sycophants to which entitlements and change at any cost are more important than freedom, or to anyone from any corner of the globe who would dare to try to control us spiritually, physically, or financially. Look to the next foxhole and you will see that I will have your six brothers and sisters. With a pen and a sword.

Semper Fi,
Call sign
Toaster eight zero two Romeo foxtrot, shall we dance!

Corrections Officer says include me on this list too

2009-05-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm a Corrections Officer from Middlesex county in the Democratic Socialist Peoples Republic of New Jersey. I just saw your sight on the 9-12 forum and it took about 2 seconds for me to email you. I go by the handle of Brushwolf on the 9-12 forum.

Include me in, please feel free to email me any info that you are sending out. Let me know what I can do to help you (us) out during this time of concern to our country. I just hope that you guys are for real and not just some government entity making up a list of those that might be a problem, if you are I'm probably on a couple already so might as well include me on this one too.

The Brushwolf

Testimonial of Marine, National Guard vet and Current Serving Army Reserve SGT Tomas A Dunn

2009-05-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

I started my oath back in the summer of 1983 prior to my service into the Marines, since then my journey has taken me in to Nebraska National Guard and later into the Army Reserves. I never once forgot my oath I was just telling others months ago that all who served swore a oath. To defend the constitution. I will do what it takes to defend it. I never realized then back in 83 that this oath would take me until the day I die. But the bottom line is I am privileged to have taken that oath. It was probably one of the most important promises I have taken in my life. I could not make it to the Lexington Green. I wish I could have but I couldn't. But let me reassure you that you have my honor and continued service to which I re affirm. Add me to your ranks. I will uphold the oath. To my God, Country, Family and Constitution. Count me in.

USMC 1984-88
Nebraska National Guard 1988-2000
USAR 2005-present
OIF 2007-2008

SGT Tomas A Dunn

PS - It is a honor be called back into service. If you need anything from this side of the country (Nebraska) let me know I will do what I can. Some are afraid of repercussions from even admitting such things but I am not. I am who I am like the rest of you, we are who we are, And I am proud of that fact. So I will gladly with honor stand beside my brothers and sisters to defend out Principles that we hold so dearly close.

Testimonial of Active Duty Marine With HMX-1 Presidential Helicopter Squadron, Quantico Va.

2009-05-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

Sir,

first let me say that I cant begin to thank you for what you all are doing,
I'm an Active Duty Marine stationed in Quantico Va with HMX-1 Presidential Helicopter Squadron.

As you well know I too took an Oath to Protect my Country from ALL Enemies Foreign and Domestic, (seems to me that the Domestic ones are more dangerous now anyways). In looking at your website I think I missed the sign here link? What do I do to become a part of the Oath Keepers Association?

God Bless
Semper FI!

Lcpl Larson, Jonathan D.
--

Semper Fidelis-no one but a Marine can fully comprehend the meaning of those words
Teufelhund--A name earned, NEVER given.

FROM OATH KEEPERS: Marine, thank you for your service and for your devotion to country. On this Memorial Day, as we remember the fallen, your testimonial is a fitting tribute to them and to the cause of liberty they fought for. Thank you! We are honored to add your unit insignia to our webpage honor-roll. We are still working out the details on our membership policy but will post on that soon and will have a "Join" button up within days. Meanwhile, in our minds, all who keep their oath are oath keepers - Stewart Rhodes

This Memorial Day: Remember, Honor, Resolve

2009-05-25T05:46:00.001-07:00

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” –John Adams

Remember all who came before you, from Lexington Green and Concord Bridge, through all the many battles fought, to today.

Remember their sacrifice - they gave life and limb, they gave their youth. They bore the scars, the terror, the hardship.

Remember that they were guardians of the Republic. Remember that they swore the same oath you did, and fought out of love of country and out of love of their buddies, and that many gave all in keeping that oath.

Remember that your oath has no expiration date. “Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives.” –John Adams, letter to Benjamin Rush, April 18, 1808.

And then honor all those who came before by resolving to keep your oath just as faithfully, come what may. How can any of us do less?

- Oath Keepers

“All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” –Edmond Burke

Testimonial: He Will Stand in Honor of Those Who Came Before

2009-05-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

It’s been 18 years since I took the oath and I’ve “obeyed the orders of the officers appointed over me” ever since. I have a terrible feeling that someday in the very near future I will no longer be able to do that. To me it is not even an option.

I will not spit in the face of every veteran who came before me and served and died to defend this countries freedom. I will take my children, my firearms and my freedom and do what our forefathers had the courage to do; stand up and defend the greatest country history has ever known from the tyrants that have been placed in power by the ignorant and uninformed.

Daniel Kelly