TJMadison

I've been a member of the GOP since the day I turned 18 and registered to vote as a Republican in 1972. I've been an activist for the principles of conservatism, most often to my regret, since the day Ronald Reagan announced his third candidacy for president on 13 November 1979.

As a US Marine, I trained for war against the Soviets at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport California (1976-1978) and in combined arms exercises with Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines during Operation Team Spirit in South Korea. My unit was training to fight communists when I learned that a group of Iranian students had seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979.

I was a sergeant with 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division when Reagan's unnecessary intervention in Lebanon's civil war resulted in the deaths of 220 fellow Marines, 18 soldiers and 3 US Navy Corpsmen on 23 October 1983. I was a Staff Sergeant, a platoon sergeant responsible for 60 Marines, when my unit deployed for Operation Desert Shield - Desert Storm (November 1990-March 1991).

I believe in the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound monetary policy, free markets, and a foreign policy of nonintervention.

I support Ron Paul for President in 2012.