The Captain’s Journal is dedicated to the dissemination of conservative views, based on a solidly and consistently conservative world view, on matters political and military.

Herschel Smith

The “Captain” is Herschel Smith, who hails from Charlotte, N.C., and who is not a member of the armed forces, but who is “Captain” of this web log. However, he does have a son who is a United States Marine, and has earned the combat action ribbon in support of Operation Alljah in Fallujah.. He also has three other children and a wonderful wife. The “Captain” is a Christian, and offers news and commentary on warfare, policy and counterterrorism.

Smith has been noted for good “analysis and thought provoking” articles by Matthew Currier Burden at Blackfive, and the analysis has been called “most excellent” by John at OpFor.

Jim Spiri

Jim Spiri, 52, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is currently at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico preparing for a return trip back to the war zone in Iraq. He has been traveling in and out of theatre there, in a variety of capacities, since January of 2004. Most recently, he completed a six month embed from May 2007-October 2007 with the USMC and the US Army. He covered extensively events in Fallujah, Mosul, Taji and the southeast part of Baghdad, as well as other areas of Iraq. His work was published on a daily basis in blog form with the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper.

Spiri, who has quite a history of international travel is a unique individual who has managed to press forward in the midst of personal tragedy, adversity and a sincere desire to support the troops in such a fashion that has gained him much respect among the military community. Known as a true patriot, Spiri, who was also instrumental in the passing of a bill in Congress addressing military medical health care coverage for newly commissioned officers, has the tenacity of a bulldog when the record needs to be set straight.

Married at age 18, to his wife Candi (who was 17 at the time), has been married for the past 34-years. The two were blessed with four children,( Melain, Jesse, Jimmy and Moriah) two boys and two girls, and raised them in a variety of locations around the globe. Both sons attended New Mexico Military Institute for their first two years of college and then proceeded to pursue careers in the military. The girls went on to attain careers where the oldest one, Melain, became a school teacher and the youngest one, Moriah became a nurse. The Spiri’s now have been blessed with six grandchildren. Life has been good, but in 2001 tragedy struck and changed their lives forever, but through the suffering the family found a way to turn tragedy into triumph in true American fashion, with a firm testing of their faith in the Lord Jesus. It is with this faith that the Spiri family continues to press on.

In May of 2001, their oldest son, Jesse, was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the USMC, after completing a four year degree at Western New Mexico University, in Silver City, NM. Shortly thereafter, Jesse was stricken with what was determined to be brain cancer and subsequently passed away on July 7, 2001. At the onset of the illness, Jesse was admitted to UNM hospital under Tri-Care, the health care coverage for all military personnel. Shortly after emergency brain surgery, Tri Care balked and decided not to cover the newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Within 48-hours of brain surgery, Jesse was discharged from the hospital and left to fend for himself for medical care. He had no insurance and the family rushed to find a way to get him treatment. Tri Care determined that a “gray area” as far as coverage was concerned caused a hesitation in treatment. The Spiri family went public with the dilemma, but to no avail. Jesse died on July 7, a mere 56-days after being discharged.

Life would never be the same for the Spiri family.

Jim Spiri took this tragedy hard, but pressed his Senator, Pete Domenici (R-NM), until eventually in November of 2003, a bill in Congress was passed called, “The 2nd Lt., Jesse James Spiri, Military Medical Coverage Act of 2004″, which closed the so-called loophole that Tri Care balked on, thus relieving any future family the pain and suffering that the Spiri family experienced. Following the final words of his son Jesse, which were, “Lord Jesus, make me an Overcomer”, Jim Spiri decided to pursue a life in full support of all American troops from that point on. This is what has driven Jim Spiri to “Support the Troops” in earnest, in what we now call, “The War in Iraq”.

It was while being present at the United States Senate, as an invited guest during the passing of the bill in Congress, that Jim Spiri decided that from that point on, his life would never be the same and the experience of one man following his patriotic duty, can and did make a difference. At that point in time, Spiri determined to find a way to continue on a positive footing to support in whatever capacity he could, the troops who were now engaged in a global war on terrorism. In January of 2004, Spiri obtained employment at Camp Anaconda, near Balad, Iraq, as a flight line passenger representative, putting to use his skills in ground aviation to work in full support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that time he was present and assisted in the loading of over 12,000 wounded soldiers and voluntarily offered his services as a photo-historian and produced a photographic historical archive for the 31st Combat Support Hospital which handled the majority of wounded US soldiers in Iraq. It was at this time Spiri found much grace to lend healing to his own suffering.

By the summer of 2005, Spiri’s wife, Candi, joined him and worked in helicopter manifesting as a US Army contractor. Together, the two continued their work in supporting the troops until March of 2006, at which time they returned to their home in New Mexico. During their time in country, the Spiri’s were invited guests of honor to Baghdad in November of 2005 for the November 10th birthday celebration of the USMC. At that time Jim Spiri began to inquire with the USMC about becoming an embedded photographer. It would be a process that would take much time. After retuning home to New Mexico in March of 2006, the Spiri’s made a plan that would coordinate their next journey to coincide with the deployment of their younger son, Jimmy, who is a CH47 helicopter pilot in the US Army. Their younger son would deploy once again (his fourth time) in September of 2006. Jim and Candi Spiri obtained employment in Kuwait in September of 2006 at Al-Mubarak Air Base, as US Air Force contractors, where Candi worked in passenger services and Jim worked in cargo. Together, they would be able to be in theatre at the same time their own son was deployed. Once again in November of 2006, the Spiri’s were invited by the USMC as honored guests for the birthday on the 10th, and it was at this time that Jim made a strong move to embed with the USMC in Anbar province. This time, it would come to pass.

In years past, Jim and Candi Spiri both were freelance photographers and covered the war in the late 1980’s in El Salvador. By 1992, a book was produced in both English and Spanish, by Jim and Candi Spiri, titled, “In the Beginning…El Salvador”. It was a black and white photo-documentary depicting life in the war zone of El Salvador during the years 1987-89. It received many positive reviews and is still available upon request.

By the spring of 2007, Jim took permanent leave of absence and embarked on a six month embed with the USMC in Anbar province and Nineveh province in Iraq. The journey was done for free and without any outside financial support. The Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper caught wind of his journey and produced a front page article on his adventures. It was shortly thereafter that a blog was begun and has since gained an immense following. During the journey, Spiri was able to fulfill a life-long desire to accompany his son on combat missions. Father and son working together in the war zone while at the same time supporting the rest of America’s sons and daughters who were also in the war zone. The blog became a way of linking the troops to the families on the homefront and detailing day to day combat operations in a fashion the followed in the footsteps of famed historians of wars past, Matthew Brady, Ernie Pyle and Joe Galloway. Jim Spiri had found a way to support the troops and convey to America the professionalism of America’s sons and daughters in harms way.

By October of 2007, the journey for the Spiri’s had come to a close and both returned home to New Mexico. In recent weeks Spiri has attended homecoming celebrations for soldiers from Ft. Bliss, Texas and documented in full circle the end of a long deployment of fellow comrades who have become as family. One mission is now complete.

Now, Jim Spiri is planning a follow-up journey that will commence by March 1, 2008. His intention is to seek support from the heartbeat of America who want to become a part of the next journey. The war continues with much positive progress going unreported at this time. Spiri is able to convey in a unique fashion that strengthens not only the individual Soldier and Marine, but at the same time strengthen the homefront and open a way to allow those at home to support where before a way was not available. Spiri has made a way for contributors to receive something from the past, in order to continue to report the current. For contributions of $20, each person will receive an autographed copy of Spiri’s first book, “In the Beginning…El Salvador”. For contributions of $40, each person will receive a copy of the book plus a CD of recent photos from Iraq depicting day to day operations among USMC or US Army patrols. Payment methods can be personal check mailed directly to Jim Spiri, 7016 Snapdragon Rd., NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, or for those with Pay-Pal accounts can be deposited to candispiri@yahoo.com.

The Captains Journal is proud to feature Jim Spiri as one of it’s guest bloggers. For more information you can contact Jim Spiri at: jimspiri@yahoo.com or call him personally at any time at: 505-898-1680. He welcomes all contact and personally responds to each and every inquiry.