I know where I want to retire

It's this town.

Suspected flag burner pilloried
Alleged offender hunted down, ridiculed after incident at VFW post

By BOB GARDINIER AND HUMBERTO MARTÍNEZ, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, September 26, 2009
VALLEY FALLS -- The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.


It was the third option that would still have the small town buzzing a week after a 21-year-old was hunted down and forced to endure a public humiliation with its roots dating to the Middle Ages. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1938 were incensed enough to tie up the man last Sunday after they accused him of setting the flag in front of their building on fire.

Post Commander Nick Normile, a Vietnam War veteran, said the man came into the post's bar Sept. 18 on Poplar Avenue and was eventually turned away for not having a proper ID.

Apparently angered, the young man, who Normile did not want to name, cut the rope of the American flag flying overhead and used a cigarette lighter to set it on fire, Normile and others said.

The man sat pilloried as the village had its fall youth soccer picnic with a long parade of children passing in front of him.

"He'll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that," Normile said.

Normile said the flag had at one point flown over U.S. troops in Iraq had special significance.

Veterans, both local and nationwide, responded to the event as accountings were posted online to the official VFW Facebook page and national Web site. Comments posted supported the act and added ideas for further punishment.

Other nearby business owners said they knew of the event but refused to give an accounting. Unconfirmed reports by citizens said the alleged flag-burner was a relative of a previous commander of the post.

Calls made to the alleged flag burner and a spokesman for the national VFW organization for comments were not returned. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs office confirmed knowledge of the event, but said they were not involved. State Police in Brunswick were contacted, but a trooper said no record of the event could be found.

The flag will be disposed of at a formal ceremony, Normile said.

Defense of the Castle

Today was a Good day. Alerted that the denizens of the castle may be under observation, and possibly assault, saw that a demonstration, or possibly a show of force may be needed. I issued a quick Warning Order to the Family Squad, then departed the AO to secure Class V from Cabelas and Class VI from the Class VI store. (No GO #1 at the castle, you see.)
By the time I'd returned, the boss had finished some PT to get her adrenaline up, and the kids were all aflutter. I loaded the weapons into the truck, then das dummer Hund, the boss, the dismounts, all the errata that goes with them, and we were off to the castle.

We started with the tour of the realm, then the showing off of really cool stuff, (which was mostly me and the Armorer, and the Dismounts and The Boss doing their Cavalry Re-certification. I too was re-certified, while das dummer Hund tried to get either stepped on or kicked in the head by the horse.

After the showing of cool things, I was given a grand tour of the Armory, (I am in total awe) and then we moved to the ramparts to conduct a show of force. First, the dismounts practiced their sidearm drills, then the boss showed us all how it was possible to shoot right handed, but use the left eye to aim. The dismounts then demonstrated their sniper techniques.
The Armorer then demonstrated his knowledge of obscura mechanica, firing a weapon that I am sure Saladin himself once used. I then used my mad skilz with the bammy shooty (for you marines who may be using this) and demonstrated to any would-be spies my ability to sling lead and dispense with soul-cleansing flames of 7.62 x 39 wrath and scunion.

The Castle remains free.

Note:* If anyone thinks that my children are too young to do these things, tough. They are my kids. I get to decide that, not you. Just because your slack-jawed mouthbreather can't muster enough sense or attention span to pay attention and learn how to exercise their specific, enumerated right, doesn't mean that my children cannot learn to do so. If you think you can provide a rational, reasoned argument why I should not encourage and teach my children to safely handle firearms, please, by all means, do so. First, explain it to my dog:

Yes that is a pancake on his head. It makes as much sense as you do.

--Chuck

The best scene from the best movie ever made.