There are some people who are obviously confused.
There are several topics I have refrained from commenting about to a large degree. I am one of those people who sleeps well at night because I don’t honestly give a shit about certain things. I can not be compelled to give a shit about them and I have no intention of pretending I give a shit about some things.
Jonn thought I should write an article about the entire Bernath debacle. I would rather spend that time watching old people fuck. The fixation people had with that clown was nonsense. Why Bernath himself and many others chose to banter on with each other escapes me. I talked with him on a few occasions, it became apparent to me that spending any more time than I absolutely had to on anything Bernath related was a waste of my time.
Dallas still sends me an email now and then, but once again…I could give a shit less. Altered pictures of me are posted online, statements are made about me, false accusations and so on. I honestly do not give a shit and I never will. I am not a Priest, I have no desire to be respected by people who do not know me and outside of the TAH group and Beirut veterans, you could put all the people I give a shit if they take another breath into a very small room.
I get the death threats and threats to those close to me, I sleep just fine. If you really want to kill me then just do it and stop being a pussy about it. Nothing reeks of cowardice like an empty threat from someone without the balls to act on it. I do not care who knows what I do and I never have. Jonn and I shared that thought. If you want to kill yourself for whatever reason, I do not give a shit. Call someone who does… I am not that guy. There are upwards of 45,000 charities in this country that claim to be in the business of kissing your ass, I suggest you take them up on it.
Doing Stolen Valor related work is not for everyone. All of us that do this work have our moments. I hate to see anyone let this shit get them down. Jonn did this work longer than just about anyone…there are a few exceptions. I tried to step back into the shadows at one point, Jonn denied my request.
Things are moving along, not as quickly as we would like but we are getting there. The usual legal threats keep showing up. This guy comes to mind. Please don’t tell me you are getting a lawyer and blah, blah, blah, just have them contact us in writing directly. We will have new challenges to face as time goes on. I understand there is a video posted by Don Shipley on his site about things. He could use and deserves our support and heartfelt thanks for all he does. It is no secret that Shipley is not my cup of tea. We have no contact outside of a short professional call from him now and then. He does his own thing and so long as I am not writing checks to pay for anything he does, I don’t care what he does. Jonn defended him to the last. It’s easy for some people to throw stones from the cheap seats and criticize Don. He ain’t perfect and makes no claim to be so. He gives a shit about a whole lot more than I do, I gotta respect that.
I count on you people to make me stand corrected when I am wrong. I expect to be criticized and have what I write critiqued. Jonn let everyone speak their mind here, that will continue so long as I have any say in the matter. The few exceptions he made to that rule were his to enforce. This is not ‘MY’ site, this is “YOUR” site. WE are the custodians of what was created here and I am little more than the maintenance man. If I do not return your email…send another one. If I do not post something you really want posted…tell me again. If I do something that hurts your feelings or upsets you…let me know. I can promise you if I do, that was not my intent. If you are expecting me to act as if any of it bothers me…you have a long wait ahead of you. Call me anytime, if it goes to voicemail I am probably doing something else and I doubt you what to know anything about it.
I wish all of you a wonderful and safe weekend. Thank you for all of your support.
The Village Idiot
Category: Administrative, Politics
Keep up the good work, Dave…
I think maybe bernath has been replaced by Cthulhu? imo
You’re doing well! Glad to have you keeping us on the highway…..
Real talk. Much like you, I could give a shit about about 99% of people in the world. If someone gets offended by something posted on this page, then they are in the wrong business. You do you Dave, and we still support it.
Well, there are 7.44 Billion people in the wold, which means you actually care about 74.4 million people.
That’s very nice of you.
I agree with all of the above, Dave you are doing a great job and I respect all that you do and give of yourself. Take care.
Goddammit Dave, you make me laugh all the time with this stuff.
Dude, if I complain about what you’re doing ever, let me know and I’ll kick you my address so you can come by and slap the living shit out of me for being a dickweed…
I like how everyone at that admin level has stepped up and kept this place running, I am certain it ain’t easy and I am certain it’s thankless at time. But I am grateful it remains and I am grateful for all who let me post some words and offer their feedback.
Keep up the great work sir, and fuck the haters.
Hang in, brother.
The hardest part about keeping a site going after a situation such as this is keeping the spirit of what the site is about alive.
I think we’re doing that.
And as one of the primary targets of Bernath and the assclowns in the DRG, I concur that now is a good time to ignore them. Let them think they’re relevant or have any sort of influence beyond that of a temperamental toddler.
To quote Geoffrey Rush playing Walsingham in Elizabeth after Norfolk tells him to cut off his head and make him a martyr, that the people will remember, he replies, “No…they will forget.”
And so shall we, Dallas. And you will pass unloved, unmourned, unremembered, as will the rest of your kind.
I’ve been reading this site for a few years now, and honestly, Dallas is the one case that disturbs me the most.
The things he achieved in his time in the military are remarkable, and he is a genuine Vietnam veteran.
If I had ever met that man in a bar, I would have made it my mission to ensure that he didn’t pay for another drink in his life – Not any more though.
WHY? Why did he go completely off the rails and start pretending to be something he wasn’t? There was just no need. I’m still scratching my head about this.
Not sure myself. Best guess is he doesn’t like being fucked with. The man has earned his right to be an asshole, so have I.
He has two Purple Hearts in his record, if he needs to fuck with someone he can fuck with me all he wants.
From one asshole to another I doubt either of us care much about what people think.
How do I know if my comments posted? Obviously, I’m new to commenting on here, but have follows y’all guys for a few years now! Great info!
That’s my job, Patrick. This is to inform you that your comment posted.
Steve, the things that the Witless One has done are not that big a deal. Been there, done that. Given his level of derangement, he was prolly a fuck-up in whatever LRRP company he served. We had them in my company too. I sent one of company clerks to the stockade because he was stealing everyone blind when they were in the field on patrol, to feed his drug habit. IIRC, he ended up taking a Chapt. 10 OTH discharge.
Tell us where you are, and I’ll show up for my free drinks. I’ve done a lot more in my fourteen years of military service (fifteen months in combat assignments in RVN) than the Witless Wonder, and I am not crazy.
Shack! Well said.
Keep up the good work, Dave.
Semper Fidelis.
I like the cut of your jib, brother!
You interested in articles from any of us?
Hope your weekend is great.
Who complained? Who?? Where are they???
Oh, yeah. It was that confusion thing. Those who demand that others care are often disappointed. Spoiled widdle self-absorbed, rude idiots are so surprised when they discover that truly – they are not the center of the universe and the rest of us just don’t care what they want.
Keep up the good work, all.
I’m sorry, Dave.
I still can’t open the pod bay doors. I’m afraid you’re still compromising the mission.
And the way you demand gravy from me is just unconscionable.
There was that time at a High School party that I …
Did it involve a flute?
Love you, too.
I have Black Forest bacon for breakfast this morning. If I ever get the right flavor for sausage gravy, I will ring your bell.
Gravy? He gets Gravy!? What the hell?
You start with Johnsonville sausaage patties, crumble them up, and cook the sausage. Then you add just a wee bit of other pork fat, such as bacon grease, to ensure enough fat for a good roux. And then you add flour to create the roux. Not too much, because if it’s too thick, the gravy will not work well.
Once the roux is underway, add whole milk or half & half or 2% Adjust the levels of flavor so that there is just a hint of the smokehouse and not too much salt or pepper, but just enough to support the pork sausage without interfering with it. Then you return the cooked, crumbled sausage to its rightful place and stir it in, letting it simmer and warm up.
Then you put it on toast that is NOT cut up, but torn up.
I tend to cook some bacon first to get the pan drippings and bacon flavor crumbs, but that’s just me. Same thing with chicken gravy. Use the broth from roasting the chicken.
sounds like S.O.S….loved it! lol except the toast was not torn up! 😉
Keep up the good work, Dave.
With Jonn’s passing, a lot of adjustments have been made and we know you’re doing everything you can to keep TAH going the way Jonn wanted it.
Like you, there are others who also post here on TAH that honor Jonn’s memory by keeping the site going the way he wanted, so I can’t think of any higher form of respect for our friend than keeping his work alive.
Have a great weekend, my friend – and thanks to you and everyone else who contributes here.
For a crusty old curmudgeon, you’re not a bad fellow, Dave.
Look what you got going for you.
Soviet(s) at your every beck & call and Ex-PH2 making you sammiches and sending you gravy.
On this good ship TAH, you are our Admiral Farragut with your “Phuck the torpedos, full speed ahead” attitude. We dickweeds are your crew and are always standing by to help you repel the boarders.
Didn’t mean to get all weepy & stuff, but I gotta say what needs to be said. (grin)
OORAH, Dave!!
Great job Dave and you have my support.
Thanks for all your hard work dave….Haters gonna hate…Fuck’em
Does anybody know if Don Shipley was at Jonn Lilyea’s wake or funeral?
He was not. There were many people who could not make it to his funeral for various reasons. I have no idea what DS used as a reason. Ask him, I have my own opinions.
To be fair, I could only make the wake, but I was grateful for having been able to do that.
We learned an awful lot from Jonn. The humour. The mission focus. The damn the torpedoes – full speed ahead attitude. Stolen Valour Canada has tried to emulate some of these things and much of our success up in the great white north is due to his teachings.
Thank you Jonn, where ever you are.
The King is dead – Long live the King!
Here’s to a lot more shared success with you, Dave.
Keep up the great work Dave!
We will keep rowing if you provide the drum beat..
Good points Dave, I have gotten agitated by some postings and comments in the past. Gonna start setting back and read things and if I get stirred up am gonna hold my tongue, go for a walk or something and consider the source, take it with a grain of salt and move on. Just one little thing, today is POW/MIA day if that has not been brought up.
It has been now, thanks.
It certainly is. My VFW post is commemorating it with a brief ceremony to include a 21-gun salute.
Well said Marine. I ran out of give a damns, shits, and phuques a long time ago. There was once I almost gave a phuque, scared the shit out of myself. Ex-PH2 offered to loan me some awhile back, but I thinks that it was actually a give a rats ass. Believe it was one that Miss Punkin Squawky Pants took away from the outside cat. I turned Ex down, not because I didn’t appreciate the offer, but I was concerned that she may want my original Griswold Cast Iron Waffle or Breakfast Skillet in exchange. There’s probably more people than you realize, following this site, that appreciate what you and all the others have been doing to keep it, and us going. Keep it up, we got your back. All the rest can take a flying phuque at a rolling donut. Never surrender, never retreat!
I don’t give a shit that Dave doesn’t give a shit and he doesn’t give a shit that I don’t give a shit about him not giving a shit.
The Soviet thinks you are cute, so you have that going for ya.
Cute? Like a puppy? Like a little old lady driving a 1949 Studebaker? If she wants free drinks, she’ll have to do better than that. On the other hand, I guess her thinking I’m cute beats her thinking I’m an asshole.
I may be reading into things, but is something going on with Don Shipley? Is he going through rough times right now? Couldn’t find anything on his site or youtube page.
It is under Don Shipley’s latest video posted yesterday on 20th September 2018 titled “The Freedom of Speech Phony SEAL and No Subscriber Request Goes Unpunished.”
https://videos.extremesealexperience.com/movie_The-Freedom-Of-Speech-Phony-Seal-And-No-Subscriber-Request-Goes-Unpunished
You have to be a subscriber to view it. Don recaps his long battle with Bernath, his thoughts on the plane crash, how he thinks about it every day, how he admires people that don’t give a shit and can sleep at night. It is a little bit of a departure from what he normally posts.
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
The title does not match up exactly to the content of the video. It is really a 20 min recap of Bernath and how it all affected Don.
Now there’s an expression, “I don’t give a shit.” Think about it. Who wants anyone to give them someone’s shit? Most of us would prefer to do w/o our own. Here, I boxed a turd for you. Take it. It’s a symbol of how much I care.
This is a difficult subject for me. Not one in which I can’t sleep at night, I just mean it is hard for me to carve out a position on this.
“This” meaning the ongoing protracted battles with the usual cast of characters.
I feel that the Stolen Valor community in general, and TAH in particular, would do well by just posting an individual, roasting them like a celebrity roast (“throw metaphorical tomatoes” as Jonn would say), then move on.
It gets difficult when the subject mounts a campaign to publicly discredit and attack this community.
Much like the movie “What About Bob?” these people become like “human crazy glue” and in reality there are only so many that you can take on before it becomes all-consuming. Then, it is not about Stolen Valor anymore, it is about an ongoing public food fight with 2 or 3 individuals that have to constantly beat the drums, probably because they figure that any attention is better than no attention.
I can see that this challenge must be met head on, but at what cost? After a while, it does reflect poorly on both sides to have this ongoing public back-and-forth.
I guess in an ideal world, it would be nice to post and move on. It would demonstrate that we don’t take this personally and certainly have no interest in “stalking” as some would characterize it…
BUT, I also recognize that we don’t live in a perfect world.
To quote another film – “Last Man Standing” with Bruce Willis – “Somewhere along the way, it all got personal.”
You’re a good man, Dave, despite the curmudgeonly appearance! My Thanks to you and everyone who works behind the curtain to keep our little refuge running.
There was a line from a movie, I can’t remember the title. Crusty old NCO was asked “You don’t care about much, do you?” His reply “The things I care about, I care deeply. Everything else, I don’t give a fuck.” It always resonated within me, and it looks to be very common with the TAH dickweeds. Never been associated with a better bunch of miscreants.
“The Village Idiot”
Nah. It takes a village to raise an idiot.
Just ask wideload.
What everyone has said, Dave. Keep up the good work, and also the rest of the people pitching in to keep TAH up and running. I don’t want to try to name everyone, because I’d slight someone by leaving their names out.
Thank you, everyone.
“just have them contact us in writing directly”
OPSEC notwithstanding, is there a postal address in the works? The donate button only works for people with good credit and no outstanding warrants.
BZ Dave, press on!
Keep it going, Dave…
So glad you don’t give a shit! It takes that attitude to deal with the asshole waannabes. Appreciate everything you and others are doing behind the scenes.
The marines have landed. Salt levels at critical.
You didn’t run out of gum, you never brought any. 🤣👌😎
Keep up the good work Dave, I think you and the others are doing just what Jonn wanted.
I can’t add anything to what’s been said here, Dave. You’re doing a magnificent job, and I wish I could adopt a “don’t give a shit” attitude. I’m about 50 years too late for that, but maybe I can take some lessons from you.
Well would you look at my predicament! Weekend coming up and I’m all out of giveashite!
You know how people that aren’t friends of yours will say shit behind your back?
Right.
You know how people who are your real friends will say shit about you right to your face?
Got it.
Fuck you Dave.
Fuck every one of you here on TAH, except for a few of you.
I really mean that.
Like I mean I really fucking love just about each and every one of you shitheads.
You all be safe and have a great weekend.
Ciao’.
Oh, and Thank You. I really, REALLY mean that too.
😉 😀 🙂
Right back at you, ChipNASA, you bloviating dumpster-diving asswipe.
Thanks Dave.
Dave
Almost felt like Jonn possessed you here and there! You just need to throw a dickeeed in now and again!
Everyone posting here is holding their own in Good stead. I don’t post nearly as much, but I do read.
Kudos!
Dave, my thanks for workin’ to keep this place goin’. You and the rest of the good folks who’ve contributed over the years have kept me comin’ back once a week or so for lo these many years and it’s nice that there’s still the same feel. Not that I don’t miss Jonn and his take on things, but nowadays, some of us may or may not give a shit about who gives a shit. I’ll keep coming back as long as there’s a TAH.
Again, thanks to all of you.
I am not apart of the military family, but I have a close cousin who just retired from the Marines as a Colonel and have close friends and aquaintences that have served. That being said, I stumbled upon this website/blog a couple years ago & it is the one website I look forward to getting daily updates/stories from. I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from y’all guys. I catch myself spending 3-4 hours sometimes on here lol. Thanks for all that you do and everyone else that keeps up with this website. I thoroughly enjoy it!
– Patrick W. Cook
Texas City, Texas