Sound Off! - The 7.62 Design Blog
12/22/09
THE 7.62 DESIGN PATRIOT OF THE WEEK:
GYSGT JOHN MOSSER, USMC
“Valor is the contempt of death and pain” Caius Cornelius Tacitus
This Monday, while the East Coast (myself included) was shoveling itself out of a crippling winter storm, GYSGT John Mosser stood in formation at Recon Point on Camp Schwab, Okinawa. He was receiving the Navy and Marine Corps’ highest honor – the Navy Cross – for heroic actions during a deadly firefight in Afghanistan last June.
Then a SSGT, Mosser was part of a 20 man team from H Company, 2nd MSOB when they were trapped in a high-ground ambush. With one Marine fatality and 5 severely wounded, Mosser repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire as he moved over open ground to extract casualties and drag them to safety. As his team broke contact, Mosser then called and adjusted close air support and continued to engage the enemy.
GYSGT Mosser accepted his award with the quiet humility of true Warrior Spirit. He credited his teammates, saying “I wasn’t the only one doing things that day. The other Marines and Sailors that were with me are some of the bravest people I have had the honor of serving with.” To the wounded men he dragged through the kill zone of the ambush, Mosser probably will never be praised or recognized enough.
GEN James Laster, CG of 3rd Marine Division, summed up his thoughts on Valor and Warrior Spirit, saying “Where do we find such men? It is my opinion that we don’t find them. They find us. They hear the sound of guns, and they respond.” When it counted, John Mosser took his Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment to a whole new level.
Those values, regardless of Service, rank, or military occupation, are inherent in everything our Forces do for us on a daily basis. Those values are the very core of what we recognize here at 7.62 Design, where it will ALWAYS be about Warrior Spirit – and great art.
To GYSGT Mosser, and everyone else serving who didn’t receive a Navy Cross this week, our undying thanks and support go out to you wherever you serve.
Drive On!!
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12/7/09
HONORING NATIONAL PEARL HARBOR DAY, 2009.
FREEDOM. IT'S NEVER FREE:
When Dorie Miller was ordered to the bridge of the USS West Virginia (BB-48) to assist her wounded Skipper, he ended up manning a Browning .50cal machine gun for 15 minutes during intense strafing and dive bombing. This act of bravery is extraordinary in itself, but what is even more notable is that Miller was the ship’s cook (and heavyweight boxing champ). He had never been trained to fire a .50…ever. He loaded, charged and sustained fire against incoming enemy aircraft aboard a sinking ship – and became the 1st African-American Sailor of the modern military to be awarded the Navy Cross for his gallantry. Repeat after me, everyone: BAD ASS! Miller was later killed during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943.
On that Day of Infamy, 15 men would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Their ranks ranged from Machinist to Admiral, and most were awarded posthumously. I have a feeling that these 15 men are representative of a much larger number of Sailors who performed heroic deeds that day, only to be lost beneath the oily, fiery surface of the harbor. We will never know their stories, or how many men survived for the sacrifices of a few. Today, they rest in Davy Jones’ Locker with over 2000 of their shipmates. There were also sacrifices made by the Army, the Marines, and a large number of US civilians.
We here at 7.62 Design have deep ties to the Seagoing Services, most of us having served in the Navy and Marine Corps. This Monday, take a moment to reflect on the actions of your fellow Americans, and honor their service as we do. We are proud of all those who serve, and look back on our heritage with the knowledge that Freedom is never Free.
Drive On!
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12/3/09
AUTHENTIC WARRIOR SPIRIT:
Have you ever shot at a civilian range, to end up next to “That Guy”, aka Mr. Tactical? You know the type – he’s got all the latest/greatest camouflage gear (immaculately clean), a Piccatinny Rail system on his brand new AR, and a drop holster for his shiny new match-grade Kimber. He’s a poser, but proud of how he “identifies” with modern soldiers, “supports” our troops, and he especially loves the gear! You avoid him so you don’t have to hear about his “missed window” when he could have enlisted. We know the feeling here at 7.62 Design.
At 7.62 Design, we’re asking you to buy our Military T Shirts. We think it's great art, and we know that we’re 100% authentic, down to the snaps, grommets, and web loops. Sure, anyone can Google up the latest gear images and reproduce them as art. But we know the deal, because we’ve worn YOUR clothes. I personally served over 2 decades on active duty. The President of 7.62 Design served 2 hitches, and we have other veterans on staff who all bring their honorable service to work with them, every day. Every serving member of the Armed Forces matters to us, because we’ve been there.
When I visit Base and Post Exchanges and see other “Military T Shirts & Art”, it burns my ass. It burns, because I know these people (our esteemed competitors) have never served a single day in uniform. They’re not supporting troops, and they sure as hell can’t identify with ‘em. They’re simply trying to turn a dollar by slapping the coveted EGA on an Ace of Spades and calling that Marine Corps. They print Navy Core Values – but have never been held to them. They inscribe our Constitution and Creeds on shirts, but have never taken an oath to either.
I recently read a motto in an email signature line. It read: “A Veteran — whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve — is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America, for an amount of up to, and including his life.”
At 7.62 Design, we still live our commitment, we still honor our brothers and sisters who stood beside us, and every design is completed with them in mind. We’re proud of our service, and prouder of those we passed the torch to. That’s why we do what we do. That’s why it’s authentic.
The next time you see a sharp design on a shirt, ask yourself – “did they earn the right?”
Rant Complete – Drive On!!
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11/20/09
THE 7.62 DESIGN PATRIOT OF THE WEEK:
CDR COLLEEN SALONGA, USN
When CDR Colleen Salonga attended her class reunion at Alhambra High in Martinez CA, she probably wasn’t planning on being face-to-face with a lowly peddler of Stolen Valor. Fortunately for us, and the unsuspecting public ready to pander to this fool, CDR Salonga utilized her Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment to get this phony busted. Read and heed:
From Marching Band to Marine Corps Wannabe. Steve Burton, a 39 year old bank employee in Palm Springs thought he would play “dress up” at his 20th reunion at Alhambra High in Martinez, CA. This brainiac must have spent $700 on an authentic USMC officers’ Dress Blue uniform, complete with 28 phony ribbons, a phony Presidential Service Badge, a phony Joint Chiefs badge, and phony Lieutenant Colonel insignia. Worst of all – a phony Navy Cross medal; the highest medal the Navy/Marine Corps can confer, 2nd only to the Medal of Honor (which is conferred by Congress).
Earlier in the year, “LTCOL Burton” had himself photographed on the beach in his dress uniform, this time wearing full sized medals, and – get this – Master Gunnery Sergeant chevrons. He must not have gotten the attention he wanted as a phony enlisted man and decided to meritoriously promote himself to phony LTCOL for the high school reunion. Wow!
Along with his bogus Navy Cross, Steve awarded himself some other prestigious honors. A Legion of Merit. The Bronze Star. A Combat Action Ribbon. And of course, no phony getup would be complete without the Purple Heart for being wounded in action. He was proudly wearing what I like to call “The Full Thrill Package”.
Did I mention that Mr. Burton is NOT a Marine? That he’s never served one day in the Armed Forces? His attorney, Michael Defrank, put it in a nutshell: "The charges are obviously that he wore medals he did not deserve or earn. Congress made it a crime.”
REALLY? Did Congress make stealing a crime? How about kidnapping and murder – were they OK before Congress outlawed them? No, Mr. Defrank – your client stole the valor of veterans. He proudly wore the laurels of better men – REAL men who do far more for this nation. 90 percent of Navy Cross recipients never live to wear it - their wives accept it on their behalf at the funeral.
Fortunately, there was one Service member present at the reunion who sniffed out this rat, nabbed the photo, did her research and got busy exposing this fraud. Enter Navy Commander Colleen Salonga, the 7.62 Design Patriot of the Week. A fellow Alhambra High graduate, CDR Salonga saw her former classmate and was immediately suspicious. Knowing that the Navy Cross is rarely awarded, she asked “LTCOL Burton” to pose with her for a snapshot. Of course, the poser was only too happy to oblige. Later that weekend, she did some research and determined that Burton was, in fact, BOGUS. She turned the photo over to the FBI, where an unnamed Agent began investigating Burton for charges under the Stolen Valor Act of 2007. This Act makes wearing phony awards a crime, and carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. Personally, I’d like to see Burton serve 6 months at labor, tending the graves of fallen veterans; the next 6 months, he can scrub bedpans at the VA hospital for living veterans. Let him serve the men and women he insulted.
Thank you, CDR Salonga, for your integrity and initiative!! We here at 7.62 Design salute you, your service, and your actions. Semper Fi.
