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April 1st, 2020

4/1/2020

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The Wild Card by Vito Tomasino                                      12 Jun 2020

​George Soros is one of many other "Globalists" in our world who recognize no national  borders and think that only they know how we should live our lives. Unfortunately many of our world leaders, past and present, are members of that elitist group. Donald J. Trump is not. But, he knows of them and their plans to destroy the country he loves. He is their greatest enemy, the strongest and, perhaps, last viable obstacle to the achievement of their goal of world domination. They know that if America goes under, the world goes with it.
       Trump is the wild card they never expected to face, a true patriot who now holds the most powerful office in the world and--through the renegotiation of trade deals, tax reform, and deregulation--has revitalized a deliberately weakened economy, while depriving the global elitists of the trillions of dollars they were siphoning from the hard-working people of our world. Thus, he must be taken down at any cost. Russia collusion, impeachment, a global pandemic, "spontaneous" protests and riots around the world over the death of an obscure drug addict and convicted felon are just the opening salvos in their desperate attempt to bring down a duly elected President.
     Somehow, however, despite their pathetic attempts to do so, despite even their control over the news media in the United States and around the world, they have failed to bring him down. Why? Because we, the true American patriots of our great country, who put him in office three and half years ago, continue to stand with him and, come this November, we will do so again.



​

After the Wave Recedes      by Vito Tomasino           April 2, 2020

Since the dawn of time, the universe has been, and still is, a boiling cauldron of catastrophes without end. It is, in fact, the fire in which we and every other living creature in it is forged. Whether we emerge from it a stronger, sharper steel sword,
or beaten down into a crude plowshare, will be determined by how we face each
new challenge.

What now? Do we cower in our caves and homes afraid to even breathe the air
around us, or do we face it with the same courage and willful determination with
which we endured the thousands of other scourges that have befallen mankind
in the millions of years human beings have walked on this planet? That is our
choice, one that each of us should make for him, or herself.

I used the word, should, rather than must, because that decision has been taken
from us by weak politicians more concerned with appearing to do what is best
for their voting constituency and in covering their backs, than they are in doing
what’s right for the country.

Patrick Henry demonstrated his unconditional commitment to freedom when he 
said: “Give me liberty or give me death. Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Hancock, Franklin, Paine, and so many other brave men of their time, risked their
lives and fortunes to secure the blessings of liberty we have enjoyed for the past two hundred and forty four years. They deserve better from us than to have that precious gift of freedom compromised, or to see a once booming economy brought its knees.

The same state governors and city mayors who prided themselves on their self-
reliance and independence before NOVID-19 reared its ugly head, are now
pointing their fingers at the federal government, more specifically the President,
for not having sufficiently prepared for this new calamity.

Where were they? Why were they not prepared? Is it not their first responsibility
to take care of the health and well-being of their people? Do they not have access
to the same information regarding diseases as the U.S. Government? Do they not
have emergency plans prepared to cope with just such contingencies? If not, why
not? This is not the first time the world has been under the siege of a deadly virus.

The American people are angry at politicians whose only response to every crisis
is to point their fingers at those “on the other side if the aisle.” We don’t like it
from our governors and mayors, we don’t like it from our congressmen and
women, and we damn sure do not like it from our president. We expect better
from those with whom we have entrusted the health and well-being of our
country. Stop your petty bickering and political maneuvering and do your jobs.


I have no doubt we will get through this latest threat to humanity just as we did
all the others. My concern, given the tidal wave of fear and panic that grips so
many of our people—fed by the greed and lust for power of a few of our less
principled leaders—is how much of America will still be standing after the wave recedes.




 All Tensed Up                       by Vito Tomasino                    March 16, 2020
 

     The parking lots were full and the super markets were crowded with people
in every aisle, or standing in long lines to check out. Many of the shelves were
already stripped bare, as were the produce bins. I had to go to three different
stores to find the few things I needed. While I waited in line watching the
woman in front of me check out two shopping carts piled high with “stuff,”
I had time to contemplate the paranoia I was witnessing.
     What is going on? Why this fear of a virus pandemic over which, it seems,
there is little anyone can do to stop? Thousands more people die every year
because of the flu virus, than has been occurring with COVID-19. And, even
if we are facing the apocalypse, how in hell is over-loading your shopping
cart with toilet paper and hand sanitizer going to stop it? The behavior of the
people in that store seemed to be irrational, unwarranted, at best.
     Then it occurred to me. Most of them had to be Democrats; some of the
same folks that voted for Hillary Clinton in the last Presidential election.
They lost, but have never stopped crying about it, or trying to undo the
results through impeachment and other means. I remembered that special
classes to console their grief were set up in our universities and public
schools. It was the most irrational reaction by a group of people to
the results of a democratic election I have ever seen in my lifetime.
     In the fighter pilot business we take a more philosophical approach
to situations over which we have no control. Every time we climb into
the cockpit of a high-performance jet fighter, whether it be in combat,
or on a routine training flight, we know that it could be our last. If we
spent even a few seconds worrying about it we couldn’t do our jobs.
     An old fighter pilot once told me: “If you are going to die, why
do it all tensed up?”

     After the “Two-cart lady” paid for her “stuff,” the cashier rung up the
two onions I had put on the conveyer belt. It came to 78 cents. I handed
her the change and said: “This should hold me until the end of the
world.”
That brought a smile to her face.
 
 
2 Comments

March 20th, 2020

3/20/2020

1 Comment

 
That’s Life      by Vito Tomasino                                                      03/20/2020 
​
      In his signature song, “That’s Life,” Frank Sinatra—a man who did it his way
and was knocked down for it—always picked himself up and got back in the race.
I was disappointed that he ended the song with the words: “If nothing’s shaking
come this July, I’m gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die.” They are not the
words of a man whose courage I admired as much as his talent. I don’t know
why Frank allowed those defeatist words to remain in the lyrics of an otherwise
honest portrait of the man.
      Nonetheless, those same words of capitulation did strike me as being a very
apt description of what we are witnessing today…people in this country and
around the world cowering under the threat of an invisible virus that poses
less of a threat to human life than the common flu. Shutting down the world
isn’t going to stop this virus no more effectively than it would the flu; but it
can, and will—if we continue this senseless behavior, this fear of the
Apocalypse—destroy the world’s economies and reduce our way of life to
the time of the Great Depression.
      I agree with Mayor Goodman’s position that the Las Vegas Casinos,
restaurants, and any other place of business not be shut down; not in Vegas,
nor in anywhere in the world. As Frank Sinatra might re-phrase the lyrics,
it’s time to: “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the race.”
      Rolling up in a ball to die is not who we are!
1 Comment

June 21st, 2019

6/21/2019

1 Comment

 

   A Veteran’s Day Tribute  Part I       by Vito Tomasino         11/11/2019   
                  
      The American Flag is a symbol that not only represents those of us who live in a place called The United States of America, but every freedom loving human being on the face of our planet. It deserves, no, it commands the respect of all who would call themselves an American.
      Tens of thousands of our best men and women gave their blood, their sweat, and their tears under its proud banner in World Wars I and II, and those fortunate enough to come home were greeted like the conquering heroes they were. Not so the veterans of Korea and Vietnam. This was especially true for the Vietnam Vets, who were literally spit upon and called “baby killers” as they got off the plane.
      That has changed. In recent years, the American people have come to realize, that the men and women who fought that war were simply doing the job they were trained to do; sent there by politicians who failed to do theirs.
       But what does it mean to be American? It’s not a race, or a religious sect; nor is it an ideology. What then?
       It is simply an idea, an idea that every person, no matter where he or she lives on this earth has the right—and with it the responsibility—to be free to explore the limits of their God-given potential without the restraints of oppressive government.  
​      Thanks to our veterans, the "Stars and Stripes" still waves proudly over America's shores, and continues to stand as a beacon of hope and refuge for all freedom loving people in our world. 


Part II

 
      Four years ago I was visited by two youngsters from South Korea, Sarah (17) and David (19) who, before coming back for a third “stateside” visit, pleaded with their “adopted” American father to arrange a meeting with a soldier or marine who had fought in the Korean War so they could personally thank him for saving their country from Communism.
      My wife and I met with him and his kids, and what was expected to be short visit lasted three hours. They thanked me, many times, then asked a million questions: What did I do in the war? How did I feel? Was I afraid? Finally, David asked: “Why did you sacrifice so much to help a people that you hardly knew existed before the war?” A profound question from one so young. It deserved a thoughtful answer.
      “America is a nation of immigrants,” I slowly began, “who came here seeking freedom from an oppressive King, or dictator…for the opportunity to forge a better life for themselves and their children. The early immigrants were the poor and destitute from Europe; followed by the Chinese and other Asian peoples. They asked for nothing more than the chance to find honest work to feed and house their families, but were not greeted with open arms; nor were they given anything free. They fought for everything they got. Nonetheless, they were in a country that rewarded hard work and perseverance. And persevere they did. Their ultimate goal was to become an American citizen, and they did.
      “In that struggle for freedom—won for us by our founding fathers and later reinforced by our immigrants—the unlimited potential inherent in every human being was released. Our history, and that idea, is engrained in the psyche of every American. It’s in our DNA. America is a unique phenomenon of the ‘New World,’ a country unencumbered by thousands of years of the subjugation and oppression experienced by almost every other nation on earth. No other people on this planet identify with the plight of the downtrodden like the American people; because, not too long ago, we were them.
        “So, when asked to pick up a rifle, or strap on fighter jet to help those in a little known country on the other side of the world secure their freedom, we feel a special obligation to answer the call, and welcome the
opportunity to pay it forward.
          "It is who we are.”

     

Author’s Note: David and Sarah returned to South Korea shortly after our meeting; David to begin his required two year service in the Army, Sarah, her first year of college. Their youngest sister, Esther was just beginning high school. Presently, all three are attending university. Meeting these amazing kids (I met Esther two years later) brought closure to my Korean War experience. The material in quotes above is taken from my latest book, Close Calls and Other Neat Stories. But, it was Dan’s Kids who provided me with its final chapter, appropriately entitled, The Unforgotten War.

The Second Ammendent                                                          10/28/2019

The following essay was written in response to an e-mail I received regarding the marked increase in crimes in Australia, one year after their government forced the surrender of all weapons owned by its citizens.

 
We've seen this result in our own city of Chicago now repeat itself in a nation; but that won't stop the left wing liberals from continuing to push for stricter gun control, with the ultimate goal of disarming of every law-abiding citizen of our country. 
 
Why would they persist in doing that in the face of the disastrous results we see? Are they out of their minds, or just stupid? Neither. They know exactly what they are doing. They want power, and they know that a disarmed citizenry would be forced to turn to government to protect their lives and property; which they would be happy to provide for their guaranteed vote. Hitler used this "grab for power tactic" in Nazi Germany, Mussolini, in Italy, and Mao Tse Tung in China. We have seen the results there.
 
Had the colonists been totally disarmed 244 years ago, we would still be ruled by a despotic king whose lust for power and treasure could never be satisfied. After risking their own lives and wealth to rid themselves of King George III, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, et. al., crafted a Constitution that provided for the creation of three equal branches of government, thus never allowing power to reside solely in the hands of one man. Moreover, knowing there may come a day when even that safeguard against despotic rule might be compromised, they added the Second Amendment, giving every American citizen the right to bear arms.
 
 
 
​Benghazi Revisited
 
They attributed the attack on the Benghazi Consulate to a spontaneous response
by a group of people outside the gate who were peacefully protesting a YouTube
video critical of the Prophet Mohammed published almost six months before.
This was a bold-faced lie that they continued to perpetuate days
after the facts were known.

 
An overhead drone was streaming real-time video into the "Situation Room”
within one hour after the attack, that clearly showed it to be a planned assault
by well trained, heavily armed terrorists. President Obama, Secretary of State
Clinton, Defense Secretary Panetta, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
General Martin Dempsey coldly watched this slaughter unfolding before them
and just sat on their hands. Even worse, they would not allow anyone to come
to their defense, despite the fact that F-16 fighter jets could have been over
the Consulate within three hours. Even if unarmed, their show of force
might have been enough to slow the attackers down, and give follow-on fighters
time to arm and get there for a full blown close air support mission; which
may well have saved the lives of Doherty and Woods--if not Ambassador
Stevens and Foreign Officer Smith.
 
The Commander of the African Command was ready to send a fighting force
into the fray, and another rescue team in Tripoli was standing by. All were
ordered to "stand down" by President Obama. Even if he himself did not give
the order, he, as Commander-in-Chief, is the only one who could
have approved it. 

 
When asked by a TV anchor why a rescue effort was not made, our stalwart
Secretary of Defense had the audacity--or was it just naivete--to say that
"We don't send troops into harms way until we know the situation"--not
an exact quote. Really? When our troops stormed the beaches of Normandy,
Iwo Jima, Tarawa, Inchon, etc., did they, or their commanders know exactly
what they were getting into? Our military is trained to do exactly that, go
into harms way to defend our national interests. Indeed, it only exists for that
purpose. 


These four "leaders of our nation," Obama, Clinton, Panetta, and Dempsey
swore an oath to defend and protect our country from all enemies, and to
insure that the people we send out into this world to do that are adequately
staffed and protected; our military adequately trained and equipped. They 
obviously failed in that duty. Was it just incompetence, or something more? 
 

In any case, for what they did, or failed to do in Benghazi, every
one of them should have been impeached, court martialed,
and/or tried for treason. 

 



The Electoral College
​I 
If not for the Electoral College Hilliary Clinton would have finished the job
of bringing this country to its knees; one that Barak Hussein Obama was
recruited to do and almost achieved. It was only because of the electoral
college that honest, hard working Americans were able to put in the
office of the presidency the only man in the 17 person field of Republican
candidates who was not only a non-politician, but had the personal
strength and determination to take on a neutered
Washington establishment  
​
Yes, he can be, and often is, crude and insensitive, with an ego the size
of the Washington Monument, but I believe he is a true patriot who
loves his country. We the people saw this clearly. We also see, that he is 
getting things done in a grid-locked Washington, and has indeed stopped
our downward spiral; while the embittered Democrats are still unable to
accept the fact that Donald Trump won the election and their anointed
queen lost. ​


We owe a debt of gratitude to our founding fathers who, in their infinite
wisdom, created the Electoral College. They knew even then, that it would
be needed to give all Americans a voice in the selection of their President. ​


The Electoral College is essential to the preservation of our Democracy and
must stand forever. AB-186 must be struct down.​


​



​
1 Comment

The Office

7/16/2018

0 Comments

 
      Reasoned debate between rational minds open to the truth
is a healthy thing for a democracy. Unreasoned,
emotional personal
attack against any individual is not.
     
The U.S. Presidency is the most powerful, most consequential
position of power and influence in the world. Whoever sits in the
Oval Office bears the awesome responsibility of exercising that
power wisely; with a healthy respect for the office and his role
as leader of the free world.
      On the other hand we, the American people: Republicans,
Democrats, Independents, Mainstream Media, and all others--
who, in our democracy, are free to criticize our government
and its duly elected President, must always keep separate our
personal feeling toward the current office holder and the office
itself. There is too much at stake for us, and the world, to allow
our disagreements with the man tarnish the office he temporarily
holds.

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Thank You Tucson

11/23/2017

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      We passed through Tucson on the way to
El Paso, but did not have the time to stop; nor
were we planning to do so on the way back to
Las Vegas. Fate, however, had other plans for
us. A slipping transmission had to be fixed
before we could safely continue. So, we left
our car with the AAMCO garage on Gulf Links
Rd. Chris, said he would do his best to get us
back on the road in three days.
      With that assurance, my wife and I checked
into the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa to take
full advantage of our unscheduled vacation;
something we learned to do over a twenty-two
year USAF career—making lemonade out of
a lemon as someone once said.
      Those three days gave us the opportunity
to see the city, eat at some great restaurants,
shop, visit the Pima Air Museum, Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, all while staying at one of the
best hotels in the country.
      But the fondest memory we will take away
from our visit is that of the people of Tucson.
Everywhere we went, our hotel, restaurants,
shops, museums…people greeted us like old
friends, opened doors for us, and thanked me
for my service.
      Ezdy and I are getting on in years (we’re 84).
After a lifetime of traveling around the world
and meeting so many wonderful people along
the way, we once again, find our lives enriched;
this time by the good people of Tucson.
      True to his word, Chris did get us on the road
in three days. We left that Friday, November 17,
2017, happy to be on our way home, yet thankful
we were forced to stay a little longer than planned.

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The Greatest Generation

11/3/2017

3 Comments

 
      We entered the Southwest terminal of McCarran International Airport on
Sunday, October 29, 2017 to the stirring wail of Scottish bagpipes, a Flag
Honor Guard, and the non-stop applause and thanks of hundreds of people
of all ages and ethnic groups.
      It was a bit overwhelming to look into their faces, to see and feel the outpouring
of love and appreciation for something the veterans of WWII and Korea—had done
so many years ago. It was the perfect ending for our trip to Washington D.C.—one
sponsored by “Honor Flight of Southern Nevada.”
      Our journey began on October 27 with a warm send-off at the airport by the
USO and the other passengers waiting at the terminal gate, and it just kept getting
better.
      Upon our arrival in Baltimore we were unexpectedly greeted by a large crowd
of people who could not thank us enough for our service. One young man—no doubt,
himself a vet—stood at attention and saluted as we walked by. It was a humbling,
heart-rendering experience, one we would receive at almost every memorial we visited.
      Seeing the monuments was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity, made possible
by the dedicated volunteers of “Honor Flight,” but it was more the good people we
met along the way that made our journey a truly memorable one. This was especially
true of the youngsters—Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, students from the local schools,
and those just there with their Moms and Dads—who lined up to shake our hands
and thank us for our service.
      I believe I speak for all the vets when I say, if we could go back and do it all over
again to insure they grow up in a free world, with minds unfettered by any form of
oppressive government, we would do so in a heartbeat. They are our future.
      A final note. Our group was comprised of twenty-seven veterans from two wars,
WWII and Korea. It was a special honor for me, as a Korean War Vet, to have made
this trip in the company of twenty-one of the finest men of “The Greatest Generation.”


3 Comments

 The Irrelevance of Silence by Vito Tomasino

1/19/2016

0 Comments

 
 First published as "The Mandate of Allah," September 2, 2015:
 
Much has been said about the peaceful nature of Islam, yet it is no more a peaceful religion
than is Christianity, or Judaism. What separates Islam from the others, and thus makes it
far more dangerous, is that its ultimate goal is a world cleansed of all infidels (non-believers).  
 
On this there can be no debate, or compromise. If we do not convert to their religion, if we
do not submit to Sharia law, we must—and we will, if they succeed—be put to the sword.
Islam cannot tolerate and will not coexist with any other belief system, or law.
 
The vast majority of silent, peace-loving Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and other
religious sects, left-wing liberal apologists, self-serving politicians, and world leaders who
lack the courage to even identify the threat for what it is, will not save us.  
A strong military,
under the leadership of a President with the courage and will to use it, can. 


Unfortunately, while one component of that critical partnership is still in place, it
is slowly
and systematically being dismantled and purged of its best leaders by its current
Commander-in-Chief, Barak Obama.            vt

 
 
Since I wrote the above essay, we have seen some dramatic changes in the makeup of our
government, changes that have lessened the concerns I had about our leadership. I believe
Donald Trump is a strong leader, and has the courage and will to use our military power to
send the Ayatollahs and their terrorist surrogates back into the dark hole from which they
crawled.
 
For, trying to appease the Ayatollahs and Mullahs of this world, who spew their hatred of
anything non-Islamic from the pulpits of mosques in every country of the world, including
ours, is as doomed to fail as was Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler, and
result in the same deadly consequence.  
 
Vito Tomasino

On A Personal Note: For those of you who may not know, I spent a total of twelve years
in the Middle East; two in Libya (from April 1968-May 1970--before and after Gaddafi),
and ten in Saudi Arabia; from 1988-93 (before, during, and after "Desert Storm"), and
from 1994-2000). Ezdy and our five children were with me in Libya, where I worked as
F-5 Pilot/Advisor for their Air Force. In Saudi Arabia, with Ezdy by my side, I worked for
their Air Force; the first five years as a F-5 Simulator Instructor, the next five training
them in the operation of their new air defense system.
 
Thus, I flew with, and worked along-side my Arab/Muslim counterparts, many of whom
became our good friends. If Ezdy and I were to go back to either country tomorrow, we  
know that our friends will be there to greet us.
 


       
0 Comments

The Imposter

12/14/2015

1 Comment

 

        Far more troubling than his Muslim roots and his deference to Islam,
our President has no idea of what it means to be an American. How could
he?
        During the most formative years of his life he studied the Koran in the
school rooms of Indonesia—the largest Muslim country. Every Friday his
impressionable young mind was programed with the same anti-American
hate speech that spews out of the venomous mouths of Imams in mosques
all over the world, including those of “The Great Satan.”
        “The most beautiful sound in the world,” a now adult Barry Soetoro

tells us, "is the Muslim call to prayer in the morning." And, in his book,
“The Audacity of Hope,” he openly declares: “I will stand with the Muslims
should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” More than his words,
however, his actions the past
seven years, clearly reveal his disdain for
everything America stands for.

        Barak Obama’s initial disregard for observing proper protocol in honoring
the flag and National Anthem is the least of his transgressions; far outweighed
by the use of the IRS and the Department of Justice as political weapons, the
debacle of “Fast and Furious,” and a number of other lesser scandals.

        However, his order to "stand down" any and all rescue forces during the
attack on Benghazi--against the advice of his theater military commanders--
was an inexcusable act of cowardice. Even more unconscionable, was his early
departure from the
“War Room” to pack his bags for a Las Vegas Fund Raiser,
while the mortar rounds were still raining down on the consulate and the
brave men defending it.
        To add insult to injury (a term never so appropriately used), President
Obama and his then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, stood before the caskets
of four dead Americans, looked their families in the eye, and deliberately lied to
them and the American people by casting blame for the tragedy on an obscure
"You Tube" video critical of the Prophet Mohammed posted months before.

        Their actions before, during, and after the Benghazi disaster are arguably
treasonable, and certainly impeachable. Yet, our Congress does nothing, and
the mainstream media looks the other way. I’m not sure if I am more ashamed

of their cowardly silence, or more infuriated over their lack of regard for the
people whose interests they are sworn to safeguard.          

        It's time we set aside political correctness and muster the courage to
expose this narcissistic emperor for the naked charlatan he is, the ultimate
Manchurian Candidate and duped puppet of
 the real masters behind the
thrones of the world who arrogantly believe that only they know what is best
for the rest of us.
 
Vito Tomasino




1 Comment

The Mandate of Allah

9/2/2015

0 Comments

 

Much has been said about the peaceful nature of Islam, yet it is no more a peaceful
religion than is Christianity, or Judaism. What separates Islam from the others, and
thus makes it far more dangerous, is that its ultimate goal is a world cleansed of all
infidels (non-believers).  

On this there can be no debate, or compromise. If we do not convert to their religion,
if we do not submit to Sharia law, we must—and we will, if they succeed—be put to
the sword.
 
The vast majority of silent, peace-loving Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and 
other religious sects, left-wing liberal apologists, self-serving politicians, and world
leaders who lack the courage to even identify the threat for what it is, will not save us. 

A strong military, under the leadership of a President with the courage and will to use
it, can. 


Unfortunately, while one component of that critical partnership is still in place, it
is slowly and systematically being dismantled and purged of its best leaders by its
current Commander-in-Chief.
  
 


0 Comments

July 28th, 2015

7/28/2015

0 Comments

 
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