Topic: 101st Airborne

Weapons of war in the hands of children

By Christine Anne Piesyk | May 4, 2008 |

What were they thinking?

As I browsed the 1000+ photos taken by Clarksville Online photographer Bill Larson at Rivers and Spires 2008, I was impressed with the event and the attendance, weather notwithstanding. Still recovering from an illness, I was unable to attend such a big event, but my eyes scanned the images — just about all of them — one by one. In the interests of fair coverage, I included several shots I personally found to be repugnant . (The children are cute; it’s the context that’s debatable).

Despite my opposition to the Iraq war and my personal distaste for the Bush administration tactics and policies, I have every respect for our military, who are doing what they promised with less than optimal help from our Washington bureaucrats. Our soldiers are the front lines; we wish them no harm and want them back, whole in body and spirit.

At Rivers and Spires, our troops were amply and ably represented. But it was “too much information” for some of us. I scanned a photo of sandbags, a high powered weapon of some sort (machine gun), and a young child taking aim at the crowd with parent and siblings watching. My stomach turned. Technically it was a great shot. But do we really need to be placing our children’s hands on the trigger of such a gun? Another shot, well angled, beautifully lit, shows a small child perched on a tank with the gun barrel from the turret over her shoulder. I flinched, again. Stomach lurched. I didn’t have any Pepto Bismol handy. Darn! «Read the rest of this article»

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License plates to honor 101st Airborne

April 23, 2008 |

Following approval by the State of Tennessee last summer and special action by the Association Board of Governors in November, vehicle owners/lessees in the Volunteer state may soon have the opportunity to acquire a specialty license plate honoring the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Before Tennessee begins production of the plates, the 101st Airborne Division Association, with its headquarters located on the Tennessee side of Fort Campbell, must pre-sell 1,000 of them at $35 each (additional registration fees apply). If the Association fails to reach the 1,000 pre-sale minimum requirement, all purchase amounts will be returned.

L-R Representative Curtis Johnson, 101^st Airborne Division Association Secretary/Treasurer Sam Bass and Representative Rosalind Kurita stand outside the Clarksville, TN Courthouse with the newly designed 101^st license plate. Photo by 101^st Association Graphic Designer, Catie Rodriquez

Net proceeds from the sale of the plates will be allocated 50% to the 101st Airborne Association; 40% to the Tennessee Arts Commission; and 10% to the State Highway Fund. Sales are restricted by the legislation to registered vehicle owners of Tennessee. «Read the rest of this article»

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Honor our soliders on the 4th of July

By Bill Larson | July 3, 2006 |

Our soldiers were sent to the nation of Iraq, on the orders of their commander in chief. They had no part in creating the false and misleading justification for this war, which was sold to the Congress and a trusting public by the Bush administration. For doing that, both he and his administration deserve our scorn.

Our soldiers deserve only our respect and our support. «Read the rest of this article»

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