Top 10 American Military Movies

September 29, 2009

I was at home with flu like symptoms this week and sort of a ritual for me is to watch Black Hawk Down when I am home sick. This is for multiple reasons 1) My wife can’t handle the movie it is too intense and she has two bothers in the service, so the emotions of what those kids go through is too close to the heart 2) it inspires me to see what our military handles when in harms way and makes me feel bad for being home sick 3) it is a really good movie. Well this week, it dawned on me we come in contact with many service men and women, their spouses, families through our Virtual Wall of Honor, social media, charities and various other projects. So I started thinking what are the best American military movies of all time and what would other service members think? Here is my top 10; keep in mind these are actually movies I have seen…

The Civil War by Ken Burns

The Civil War by Ken Burns

1. The Civil War by Ken Burns: Ok, I know tough to rank a documentary as #1, but this is really a fascinating film. The commentary of Shelby Foote and George Will, the voices of Sam Waterston and Morgan Freeman give life to history. The insights and stories of the conflict between North and South not in the text books are intriguing. This is a long film (5 DVD’s) and should be watched in phases, though I have watched it at least 4 times.
Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

2. Black Hawk Down: I think it is because it is a film about a military action during my time and that I related to; others may not rate this movie this high. This movie is non-stop walk through the events in Somalia in the 1990’s – the action just does not stop it will drain you to watch. No man left behind – strength of the Rangers. Don’t miss the extras with a Frontline show about the actual events on the disc.
Tour of Duty

Tour of Duty

3. Tour of Duty: Ok, I am cheating a little, because this is a three year TV series available on DVD. I can’t remember much about the show, so you may ask why is it so high. The answer my father who is a retired CWO3 and toured in Vietnam said this show was authentic down to the “33” beer bottles. Who am I to disagree with my father?
The Patriot

The Patriot

4. The Patriot: Mel Gibson before everyone turned on him for some unfortunate comments, and a young Heath Ledger. This was a good movie and story line of how the revolution impacted the colonies and the methods that changed war.
Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan

5. Saving Private Ryan: Starring Tom Hanks this movie takes a look at World War II and the search for a soldier. This soldier was the last male of his family as his brothers had been killed on the same day in World War II. A tradition to secure the future of the nation and individual families called for the last surviving male to come out of harms way. The reading of a letter written by Abraham Lincoln sent to a family in a similar situation is stirring.
Gettysburg

Gettysburg

6. Gettysburg: Again like Black Hawk Down some of the characters inspire you with their bravery and actions in the face of death. I am not a big fan of Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee, but the movie is good for people interested in history.
Flags of Our Fathers

Flags of Our Fathers

7. Flags of our Fathers: Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring among others Ryan Phillippe. This is a slow movie and a little hard to get into, not the action of the other movies on the list. It does take an interesting look at the men behind the image of the American Flag flying over Iwo Jima and how that fame impacted their life.
Patton

Patton

8. Patton: George C. Scott’s standout role as Patton and look inside the general and into World War II. Though I have not seen the movie in some time, I instantly remember two scenes – the first is when Patton slaps a soldier I a hospital for suffering from bad nerves in the midst of soldiers physically hurt in combat and the other was him on an ancient battle field and thinking he had been there before. The Army may never see a personality like Patton again.
Men of Honor

Men of Honor

9. Men of Honor: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron in a movie about the first African American driver in the military. The courage of this individual is amazing, probably a story that would be buried in history if not for this movie.
Top Gun

Top Gun

10. Top Gun: Ok maybe stretching it as a military movie, but one of the best movies of all time centered on a Navy pilot should make the list right? Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis (what happened to her) star in this movie. Don’t think I have to explain more everybody has seen this movie!!

I am sure you will not totally agree with my top 10; what would you change or what movies did I miss? Email me at scates@carrot-top.com.

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Sail the Ocean Blue October 12th for Columbus Day

September 28, 2009
Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Ahoy, mateys! I can’t begin to tell you how fast this year has been moving for me. Every day seems to have gone by at a blinding pace since the start of the New Year. It seems like only yesterday that I was finding the cutest sandals for the beach, preparing my wardrobe for the summer season. Summer is now behind us (where did it go?!) and there’s only a few months left to go in 2009. Goodness gracious! But before we get to the party streamers and midnight kisses of New Year’s Eve, we’ve got to batten down the hatches and swab the decks on October 12 to observe Columbus Day.

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Talk about time passing by in a blur; Columbus was charting maps and getting seasick over 517 years ago on his trip to “The New World.” Here’s the quick skinny on our pal, Chris: he was an Italian sailor and also believed to be the first European to sail the Atlantic and land on the American continent. I think that information should be fairly elementary to us by now, especially as we all learned it in elementary school! :-)

While we all know the 1492 ocean blue part, some of the history behind Columbus that you might not remember is that he was a career sailor, tradesman, and explorer. He sailed to many places for the Portuguese (because he relocated to Portugal from Italy in his mid-20’s). He’d traveled to England, Ireland, and the Azores, Cape Verde, and Madeira islands off the coast of Africa. Through his travels he met sailors who believed islands existed to the west of areas already charted. In 1484, he had asked King John II of Portugal to back his voyage west, but had no luck and the King told him to take a flying leap. And that wasn’t the only time that those in power told Columbus to take a long walk off a short plank. They thought he was crazy and didn’t want to financially back his trips. Finally, In January of 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain supported Columbus. And the rest is, dare I say… history.

Here we are now, 517 years after Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and we hear his name every year. Well, not all 517 years. The first recorded celebration that commemorated Columbus’s discovery of America took place on October 12, 1792, in New York City. It was the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the New World. So for those first 300 years, the name Christopher Columbus was probably one of those obscure types of names that you only heard if you were a scholar of the day, a big shot in the sailing community, or something like that. Another 100 years would go by before, in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison asked people to participate in the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage. Now, here’s a tidbit that even I didn’t remember… It was during this 400th anniversary event that the Pledge of Allegiance was recited publicly for the first time. In closing with the history of our observances, in 1937 President Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 as “Columbus Day,” and, in 1971, President Nixon declared the second Monday of October a national holiday.

While observing Columbus Day and studying his travels is a way that all of us can learn about the Age of Exploration, the story of Columbus himself does not exist without increasing amounts of controversy and conjecture. This is something for a whole other blog that would go on for days but, in short, there’s the whole issue of “discovery” that some would argue (rather successfully) that The New World was already inhabited. It’s a fact that the once sunny-skies-way in which we learned about Columbus is now party cloudy with a chance of skepticism.

I can’t say too much about it, but really, history is continually being amended. We learn new things about past events almost daily and history needs to be retold to include the new facts. While the real Columbus may have not been the image of a dashing hero that some of us learned about once upon a time in school, there is something to be said for having your name remembered 517 years after you did something. I can only hope that, 517 years from now, that my name could become synonymous with something grand. Perhaps even something, Presidential? :-)

Till we meet again,
Lexi

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History of the Medal of Honor

September 15, 2009
Army Medal of Honor

Army Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is regarded as the highest decoration given to American soldiers when valiant efforts are given against American enemy forces. It was designed honor the brave men and women who show the courage and selflessness during military combat. It serves as a symbol of respect and valor to those who have received it.

Today, there are 3 types of Medals of Honor, the Army, Navy, and Air Force medals respectively. Presently, there have been 3,467 which include one woman, Mary Walker, and 19 double recipients. They have been presented to the likes of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Douglas Macarthur, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Congress originally proposed a “certificate of merit” for military bravery and action on March 3, 1847; yet the MOH would take 15 years to become formally created. The medal was officially established on July 12, 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln and having 2000 medals “minted”, 88 soldiers were awarded from previous battle actions.

Receiving the award gives many more benefits than just receiving the medal:

Privileges:

  • Each Medal of Honor recipient may have his or her name entered on the Medal of Honor Roll. Each person whose name is placed on the Medal of Honor Roll is certified to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being entitled to receive the special pension of US$1,027 per month above and beyond any military pensions or other benefits for which they may be eligible. As of December 1, 2004, the pension is subject to cost-of-living increases.
  • Enlisted recipients of the Medal of Honor are entitled to a supplemental uniform allowance.
  • Recipients receive special entitlements to air transportation under the provisions of DOD Regulation 4515.13-R.
  • Special identification cards and commissary and exchange privileges are provided for Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents.
  • Fully qualified children of recipients are eligible for admission to the United States military academies without regard to the nomination and quota requirements.
  • Recipients receive a 10% increase in retired pay under 10 U.S.C. § 3991.
  • Those awarded the medal after October 23, 2002, also receive a Medal of Honor Flag. The law also specifies that all 103 living prior recipients also receive the flag.(14 U.S.C. § 505).
  • As with all medals, retired personnel may wear the Medal of Honor on “appropriate” civilian clothing. Regulations also specify that recipients of the Medal of Honor are allowed to wear the uniform “at their pleasure” with standard restrictions on political, commercial, or extremist purposes; other former members of the armed forces may do so only at certain ceremonial occasions.

Saluting:

  • It is customary for a Medal of Honor recipient to always be saluted, no matter what the rank.
  • Recipients are always greeted and saluted before non-recipients are greeted or saluted.

Other privileges and courtesies:

  • Many states offer distinctive Medal of Honor vehicle license plates to recipients without additional charges or fees.
  • Living Medal of Honor recipients are often invited to Presidential Inaugurations and accompanying festivities.”

The awards are more than just a medal though; they are symbol of dedication to their country and fellow soldiers. Often times, the recipients have made great sacrifices for the men and women around them, many times giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect them. These incredible badges of courage are many times given to the families of these heroes due to the fact that their lives are often given up in battle. They deserve our sincerest appreciation and gratitude.

FAQ’s about the Medal of Honor:

Who was the first person to be awarded the Medal of Honor?
The first person (chronologically) to earn the Medal of Honor was Colonel Bernard JD Irwin, an army surgeon who rescued 60 men and a young boy who had been captured by an Apache Chief Cochise. He did this using only 14 other men in his squad. The event took place on February 13, 1861, but the Medal of Honor was not awarded until January 21, 1894.

Who was the last person to be awarded the Medal of Honor?
SPC Ross McGinnis is the most recent recipient of the award. He was awarded for saving 4 of his fellow soldiers lives. Instead of jumping out of the gunners hatch (where he was manning) and risking the other 4 men’s lives in the vehicle, SPC McGinnis decided to jump on the grenade and take a majority of the impact directly to his body. He saved the lives of the other 4 men that day. The event took place on December 4, 2006 and he was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 2, 2008 by President George W. Bush. Learn more about SPC MCGinnis here.

Updated Sept 17, 2009: SFC Jared C. Monti was awarded the Medal of Honor on September 17, 2009 for his actions on June 21, 2006. SFC Jared C. Monti was mortally wounded when making 3 attempts to rescue one of his men from an intense battle despite extremely heavy fire from enemy forces. The man he was attempting to rescue survived the attack but later died being returned to the rescue helicopter. President Obama will honor the soldier. There is a website dedicated to Jared, including a Memorial fund here.

What is the official name of the medal, Medal of Honor or Congressional Medal of Honor?
The official name is the Medal of Honor. The reason many people call it the Congressional Medal of Honor is because it is awarded by the President “in the name of Congress”.

Has anyone in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom earned the Medal of Honor?

US Army

  • SFC Paul Smith – Operation Iraqi Freedom

US Navy

  • LT Michael Murphy (SEAL) – Operation Enduring Freedom
  • MA2 Michael Monsoor (SEAL) – Operation Iraqi Freedom

USMC

Who was the only Coast Guard Medal of Honor recipient?
Douglas Albert Munro was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War 2 in the Guadalcanal campaign.

Has anyone been awarded the Medal of Honor twice?
Yes, actually 19 men have won the award twice, 5 of them for the same action. The way that this happens is that you are recommended by separate branches of the military. For example, one of the last double recipients was Cpl John Henry Pruitt, a Marine Corps member, who has been awarded both the Army and Navy Medal of Honor for the same action.

What is the breakdown of Medals of Honor given by war?
Civil War – 1,522
Indian Wars – 426
Korean Expedition – 15
Spanish-American War – 110
Samoan Civil War – 4
Philippine-American War – 86
Boxer Rebellion – 59
Mexican Expedition – 56
Haiti (1915-1934) – 8
Dominican Republic Occupation – 3
World War I – 124
Occupation of Nicaragua – 2
World War II – 464
Korean War – 133
Vietnam War – 246
Battle of Mogadishu – 2
Iraq War – 4
Afghanistan War – 2
Peacetime – 193
Unknowns – 9

Sources:

*Medal of Honor. (2009, September 16). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 06:42, September 16, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medal_of_Honor&oldid=314290700

**Congressional Medal of Honor Society (n.d.). Retrieved September 16, 2009, from
http://www.cmohs.org/

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Remembering 9/11

September 15, 2009

9-11 American FlagThis past week I am sure many people reflected upon the events of 9/11 as did I. September 11, 2001 was the tragic event of my generation much as Pearl Harbor was for my grandparents and the Kennedy assignation was for my parents. This weekend I recounted my whereabouts, I was a stock broker with Edward Jones at the time, working out of my house. Unfortunately the company had several people and many friends in the World Trade Center that day. I remember the shock with the first plane’s impact, the horror of the second plane hitting and the fear as the Pentagon was struck and disbelief as a plane crashed in Pennsylvania. I recall thinking of my son and the world he would grow up in and how it was now different from mine. Then I remember the American flag placed over the rubble by firefighters that once was the Twin Towers and a since of pride and unity replaced fear.

Now you may really be wondering why this post is on the “executive section” of Carrot-Top Industries blog? The answer is simple, I have great pride in the products we offer and the emotions they invoke. I remember interviewing and thinking wow American flags, that is cool – I can have a lot of pride in the product I am marketing! The years have gone by and that emotion has not changed, it is cool to offer American flags to people who have their own story and sentiment as to why the flag is important to them.

I have gained a ton of knowledge about flag etiquette, flag facts and American flag facts. This exposure has only increased my appreciation for the meaning of the American flag, respect for what it represents and again the emotion that it creates. I am very fortunate to work in a place that allows me to hear customers share their stories and experiences with the American flag, which is a constant reminder of what the flag does for people.

Being the son of a retired Army CW3 and being interested in history, 9/11 was not my first exposure to American pride. However as a defining time of my generation it did and does shape my emotions and meaning of the American flag.

Steve A. Cates

Carrot-Top Industries, Inc.

VP of Multi-Channel Marketing

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NIFDA Show in Charlotte

September 15, 2009

NIFDAMy first experience at the NIFDA annual meeting and it was nice to meet and discuss the industry with competitors and vendors. Though I could only attend one day it was a busy and informative day. There were two sessions focusing on digital printing and the presenters were very knowledgeable of not only the flag industry, but of textile and print application as a whole. This was very helpful as we are always looking for ways to push our products to new limits to offer customers better quality.

Eco friendly products were also a topic of conversation. Our owner is a “green” person and always has been, so it was nice to hear the flag industry looking to explore more environmentally friendly flag products. This concept is still developing as the types and forms of eco friendly products and options continue to take shape. We should have a high quality recycled U.S. flag on the market next year. After the U.S. flag other flags are sure to follow.

Look forward to next year’s show.

Steve A. Cates

Carrot-Top Industries, Inc.

VP of Multi-Channel Marketing

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Don’t forget to celebrate Constitution Day!

September 14, 2009
The Constitution of the United States

The Constitution of the United States

Recently I took a trip to Washington D.C. and I visited the sites in that grand, All American tourist tradition. I was a regular Clark Griswold, minus the slapstick foolishness. While Clark and I differ on an IQ level, what we do share is unbridled enthusiasm to see the sites of our country. I made no effort to hide my excitement when I experienced the monuments and museums. My favorite place was the National Archives. Inside the Archives is a grand room called the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom where, on permanent display (that mean forever and ever and ever), The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights can be seen. I spent the better part of an hour gazing, in awe, at the original documents inside their airtight, bulletproof casings.

You know, The Constitution of the United States is an amazing document. I don’t think you need to hear that from little old me, but it’s true. Did you know that over one hundred countries have used it as a model for their own Constitution? And did you also know that as times have changed, advanced, modernized, and grown, the basic ideas and principles of the Constitution have remained virtually unchanged, and unchallenged as well? All that is true. Could you just imagine being one of the founding fathers who put the Constitution together? Do you think that any one of them though that, 222 years later, it would be virtually the same document that they wrote? It’s hard to believe that anything could remain unchanged for that long a period. Let’s do a little time traveling…

On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for a final time. Only one item of business that day was to sign the Constitution of the United States of America, which starts out just like this:

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, to ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States of America.”

After it’s signing, Congress sent copies of the Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification. By June 21, 1788, nine states (the minimum number of states required) approved the Constitution.

Today we celebrate the Constitution every day by waking up within the borders of the United States of America, by raising our American Flags, by living free, and by having the rights granted to us within. All that aside, we do celebrate the Constitution another way, and that is by observing Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day). Every September 17th is an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. September 17th was chosen because that was the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

When I was little, my dad always watched a show called “Cheers” on television. On the show there was a character named Cliff who was always full of information he wanted to share with the rest of the group. He would lead in to all of his charming footnotes by saying, “you know, it’s a little known fact that….”. Cliff’s little known facts were likely “little-known” because they, in fact, had no factual truth to them. Poor Cliff was chock full of useless knowledge. I thought of that just now because, while touring Washington D.C. and visiting the National Archives, I learned a few things about the Constitution that I thought were interesting little facts. So, I thought I’d share a few tidbits of knowledge I learned with you in classic Cliff Claven flavor. Here goes… You know, it’s a little known fact that:

  • The U.S. Constitution was prepared in secret, behind locked doors that were guarded by sentries. The document consists of 4,543 words (including the signatures). Including the 27 amendments, the Constitutioncontains 7,591.
  • Two of America’s “founding fathers” didn’t sign the Constitution. At the time of the Constitutional Convention John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (U.S. Presidents #2 and #3 respectively) were overseas, representing the United States in France and Great Britain.
  • In 1791, amid concerns that the original Constitution lacked a description of individual rights, Americans added a list of rights to the Constitution. The first ten amendments became known as The Bill of Rights.
  • George Washington originally created national “Thanksgiving Day” as a way of “giving thanks” for the Constitution. And you thought it was about turkey and football!
  • When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, The Constitution was moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping.
  • Vermont ratified the Constitution on January 10, 1791, even though it had not yet become a state.
  • The word “democracy” does not appear once in the Constitution.
  • The term “others” is used in the Constitution to categorize ethnic minorities.
  • Four of the signers of the Constitution were born in Ireland.

And there you have it… Lexi’s Little Known Constitutional Facts. I have to close this up now… I have a lot of planning to do for Constitution Day, but I want to power up the flux capacitor and travel back in time once more. This time, we’re going back to hear a quote from George Washington, who spoke these words upon submitting the Constitution for consideration by the Continental Congress:

“It is at all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those rights which must be surrendered, and those which may be preserved; and, on the present occasion, the difficulty was increased by a difference among the several States as to their situation, extent, habits, and particular interests . . . thus, the Constitution which we now present is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession, which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable.”

Lexi

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American Flag at Sunset

September 3, 2009

cp_flag24Submitted by: Joseph N. D’Amico

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American Flag on the Farm

September 2, 2009

cp_flag21

“Attached is a picture of our third Carrot-Top flag.  We love the way it finishes off the look of our farm.”

Submitted by: Rae Niles

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Scenic Hills Elementary School – Military Flags

September 1, 2009

cp_flag20“We had a special celebration for our school Veterans.  They were honored at our senior coffee, which there were 286 people attending.  This display was and still is hanging in our lobby.  The veterans were truly touched by the display.  They commented all day about how beautiful the flags were and we told them where we got them.  We plan on honoring them every year and plan on using our flags in their tribute.”

Submitted By: Pam Gurenlian, Scenic Hills Elementary School

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