Tribute to fallen soldiers.

[HerringRollins]

Soliders are killed every day. We hear about it, say,wow, bummer, and move on. I thought it would be nice for families and people who have known these soldiers to just have another place where they can be remembered.

I'll start. If anyone remembers Army Corporal Steven Koch of Milltown NJ, or has anything nice to say, that would be cool. I hope this doesn't turn into a "war is bad" polarized thread. These guys have given their lives for their country. No matter what you think about the war, they deserve honor and respect. Many of us would not make this sacrifice, yet these brave soldiers have. May they all rest in peace.




Fallen Army Cpl. Steven Koch's hearse rolled slowly by Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school yesterday as pupils holding miniature flags lined the street in poignant tribute to the soldier, father and former student.
Following the hearse past the silent wall of children at the Milltown school were Koch's teary-eyed mother, Christine, and his widow, Amy, each supported by friends holding their arms as they walked to the nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Church.


The soldier's father, William Jr., brother, William III, and sister, Lynne, also participated in the procession with other relatives and friends as a solemn drummer from the Middlesex County Pipes and Drums corps beat a cadence and members of the 82nd Airborne Division, with whom the 23-year-old corporal had served, carried his casket into the church.

"No man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Steven showed his love by making the ultimate sacrifice," the Rev. Edward Czarcinski told the hundreds of relatives, friends, military veterans and well-wishers who filled the pews.
"Steve lays in repose draped in the flag of his country, which he loved," Czarcinski said.

Koch, who grew up in East Brunswick and had visited his former school just last year, was killed March 3 when a car bomb caused a wall to collapse on him in Sabari District, part of Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan, according to military officials. The region has been the scene of renewed fighting by the Taliban and other extremist groups. Koch was at least the ninth service member with New Jersey ties to die in Afghanistan since the war began. An additional 88 service members with ties to the state have died in Iraq.
As the Koch family sat in the front of the church, a relative held the soldier's 15-month-old daughter, Zoe, who clutched a small American flag in her hand.
"We pray for Zoe," Czarcinski said. "May she always be reminded of her dad's greatness, of her dad's sacrifice and her dad's love for her."
Steven Koch decided to join the Army after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. His mother tried for years to keep him from enlisting, but in 2006 he decided he no longer would be stopped.
Koch was deployed to Afghanistan in January 2007 and was due to come home April 20.


"I hope that five years from now," Czarcinski said yesterday, "when Zoe is going to school, we will be willing to lay down our lives, that the people of Afghanistan and Iraq will be free from war and death. We pray for peace. These are the beautiful ideals Steven believed."
Relatives hugged and comforted each other as the pipes and drums corps played "Amazing Grace," a family favorite. For the final song, the choir sang "America the Beautiful."


"What an honor for this boy to have so many people come out for him," said Elizabeth Gleason, who was one of Koch's teachers at Our Lady of Lourdes School and still works there. Gleason recalled Koch's smiling face when she taught him in a fifth-grade religion class. A fellow student of Koch's from that class sat behind Gleason at the church yesterday to pay his respects, while current seventh- and eighth-graders from the school also attended.
"I think they will forever take this in their hearts," Gleason said.

After the Mass, in a ceremony at the Joyce Kilmer American Legion Post 25 in Milltown, members of the 82nd Airborne Division presented Koch's parents, siblings and widow with medals for Meritorious Service, Good Conduct and the Afghanistan Campaign, all of which were awarded posthumously.

The family also received commemorative coins from the 82nd Airborne Division and Gold Star lapel pins, which are given to relatives of soldiers who die in armed conflict.
Today, the family will receive three more medals awarded to Koch posthumously -- the NATO, Bronze Star and Purple Heart -- when the soldier is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

[pinhead44]

Good idea. Prayers for the family.

[stripercrazy]

http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[plugaholic]

Nice. http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon14.gif Prayers and thoughts for the family.

[captnemo]

Here's one that was in today's Star Ledger. Benjamin L Sebban of South Amboy gave his life for this country. Condolences to the family, may he rest in peace.

The article noted that:
The Iraq war began five years ago today and has long since fallen to the back of the minds of many Americans. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found only one in four Americans knew roughly how many U.S. service members have died in the war.
The answer is nearly 4,000, including at least 88 with ties to New Jersey.






ARLINGTON, Va. -- The paratroopers came to burial plot 8613 here on Monday, a year to the day since their friend, Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin L. Sebban of South Amboy, died in Iraq.
Some, like Maj. Brad Rather and Capt. Braden Hestermann, made the five-hour drive up I-95 from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Arlington National Cemetery. Capt. Larry Robinson, wounded by a bomb blast 13 months ago, made the short trip across town from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

They stood near Sebban's grave for more than three hours. They laughed, fought back tears and told Sebban's mother, Barbara Walsh, and his brothers, Daniel and David, former soldiers themselves, stories about the medic who has been recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for valor.

Then the paratroopers walked among the gleaming headstones at Arlington, searching for other familiar names. They didn't have to go far.
"I've got five friends in these three rows right here," said Hestermann, a Nebraska native and West Point graduate. "Guys I looked up to. Guys I learned from. Guys like Ben, who were an inspiration to me."

The Iraq war began five years ago today and has long since fallen to the back of the minds of many Americans. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found only one in four Americans knew roughly how many U.S. service members have died in the war.
The answer is nearly 4,000, including at least 88 with ties to New Jersey.

The numbers are no abstraction for the men who fought alongside Sebban, who was 29 when he died. They were assigned to Charlie Troop of the 5th Squadron of the 73rd Cavalry, a hand-picked group of 300 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. Twenty-two of them died, one of the highest casualty rates of any unit in Iraq.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about Ben and those guys," Rather said.
They were losses the men who came to Arlington took particularly hard because they had gone to Iraq to fight -- and to heal the wounded.

Rather, a former infantryman, was the battalion physician's assistant. Robinson, the battalion surgeon. Hestermann was the medical platoon leader. And Sebban was the most sure-handed medic any of them had ever seen.
He'd been born while his mother was serving as a missionary in Africa. He'd taken an early interest in medicine.

After following his mother's wishes that he attend a bible college, Sebban enlisted to become a medic. He rose rapidly through the ranks and volunteered to go to Iraq with the cavalry unit.

"My brother found out another sergeant's wife was having a baby," Daniel Sebban said. "He volunteered to take his place so that man could see his child born."

Sebban made fast friends with the medical team from the cavalry unit. He let nervous young medics practice inserting IVs in his arm. He took Robinson, the battalion surgeon, under his wing, coaching the doctor just out of medical school to become a crack shot on the rifle range. He was forever playing practical jokes on Rather, once slipping a smelly salami into his duffel bag.

Rather saw Sebban the morning he died. Sebban had good news. He'd won promotion to sergeant first class, two away from the highest enlisted rank.
"He was so excited. All of us were so happy for him," Rather said. "It meant he was going to make a career out of it."

Rather headed back to the unit headquarters at Forward Operating Base Warrior. Sebban stayed behind at a patrol base in a former school building near Baquba, an insurgent stronghold north of Baghdad.

At 6:17 on the evening of March 17, 2007, an insurgent driving a flatbed truck loaded with explosives crashed into the patrol base. Multiple witness accounts say that instead of taking cover, Sebban ran into the open and shouted a warning for others to get down before the truck blew up.
The bomb detonated and a piece of shrapnel pierced Sebban's lower abdomen. When the dust cleared, Sebban was on his feet. Someone asked if he was OK.

"I'm good. I'm good. I've got to check casualties," Sebban replied.
Sebban worked on the wounded for about 10 minutes before collapsing. He bled to death before the medevac helicopter arrived.

"I don't think he knew he was hit," Rather said.
Word of the explosion reached headquarters quickly. "The report was mass casualties, one possible KIA (killed in action)," Rather said. "I didn't think it could possibly be Ben. He was indestructible. Then Braden (Hestermann) came in and I could tell he'd been crying. Then I knew."

In the days after the attack, Rather and Hestermann were among the officers who pieced together accounts of the attack. Their efforts became part of the paperwork that led commanders to recommend Sebban for the Distinguished Service Cross, the award second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor. So far, only nine have been awarded for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sebban may become the 10th. His paperwork has been approved by Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq. Final approval, however, must come from the Army's Human Resources Command.

"Ben deserves it," Hestermann told Sebban's mother.
His mother said the name of the award isn't what matters. "That's in God's hands," Walsh said.

What was more important to her, she said, was hearing the stories from the men who served with her son.
Rather reminded her about the salami Sebban had slipped into his bag. She reminded him that Sebban had also arranged for Rather to receive a gift certificate to a restaurant near Fort Bragg so he could take his wife out to dinner when he went home on leave.

Robinson, who was sent home with a fractured skull from a bomb blast two weeks before Sebban was killed, had a story, too.
"After I got blown up, he packed up my camera. He made a video of himself on it," Robinson said. "He was like: 'Hey Doc, I'm sorry you got blown up. Get better and I'll see you soon.'"

Robinson discovered the video about two months after Sebban died.
"Sure, enough, I'll see him again some day."

[stormchaser]

RIP Bro. Condolences to family.

Army Staff Sgt. William R. Neil

Posted by The Star-Ledger (http://blog.nj.com/njwardead/about.html) March 25, 2008 10:03AM

Categories: Afghanistan (http://blog.nj.com/njwardead/afghanistan/)
http://blog.nj.com/njwardead/2008/03/medium_neil.jpgArmy Staff Sgt. William R. Neil
Age: 38
Hometown: Holmdel
Circumstances: Died after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.
Holmdel soldier is killed in Afghanistan
Posted March 25, 2008 06:01AM

A Holmdel man who gave up a career on Wall Street for life in the Army died after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, military officials said Monday.

Staff Sgt. William R. Neil Jr., 38, was in Sperwan Ghar in the Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan when his vehicle hit the IED Saturday. He was on his second tour in Afghanistan, assigned to the Army 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group as a paratrooper.

In a statement released Monday night, family members called Neil "a true patriot who will never be forgotten."
Neil, known as Billy to his family and friends, died doing what he loved, his family said.

"Billy was a kind and generous person who loved both his family as well as serving his country. We are extremely proud of his courage and his commitment to our country's endeavor and extend our sympathy to other fallen heroes' families," his family's statement said. "He will be sorely missed by family, friends and his comrades still fighting for the cause Billy so dearly believed in."
Neil is at least the 10th service member with New Jersey ties to die in Afghanistan since the war began in the fall of 2001. An additional 88 service members with ties to the state have died in Iraq.

He is survived by his parents, William and Patricia, in Holmdel, and his girlfriend, Lorraine Cappuccino. He also is survived by three sisters, Veronica Cozzi, Patti Neil and Barbara Esposito, and their families, including two nieces and two nephews.

Earlier Monday, Neil's parents declined to speak about their son when they arrived at the family's townhouse in the Hidden Woods development. Before they went inside, Neil's father and mother picked up two baskets of recently delivered flowers left in front of the door. An American flag was flying over the neatly kept front porch.

The statement the family released described Neil as a dedicated soldier who did stints in both the Navy and the Army. In his down time, he enjoyed restoring classic cars, traveling and photography. He also loved reading nonfiction and historical publications and dining on Italian and Mexican food.
Neil was born in Jersey City and graduated from Hudson Catholic High School in 1987, his family said. He enlisted in the Navy after graduation and served for four years.

When he returned home, he worked for five years on Wall Street. But he eventually went back into the military, enlisting in the Army in 1998 as a supply specialist.
Neil served with the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Fort Benning, Ga., and later went to Army Ranger School. He successfully passed the Special Forces Qualification Course to become a Green Beret in 2006.

He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Fort Bragg, N.C., when he died.
Neil received several medals and awards during his military career, including the Army Commendation Medal and six Army Achievement Medals. He is expected to receive the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge posthumously.

Funeral arrangements will be made through Holmdel Funeral Home, the family said.

[ledhead36]

article the other day said we reached 4000. Sad to see this happen to anyone, prayers for the families, rip.

[seamonkey]

Neil put to rest yesterday. - RIP

[surferman]

Even those from long ago should never be forgotten.

Lt. Arthur F. Eastman, 22 years old, took off on a test flight out of Finschafen, New Guinea in 1944. He never returned. Until now, he is to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in September.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 229-08

March 24, 2008
Missing WWII Airman is Identified


The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is 2nd Lt. Arthur F. Eastman, U.S. Army Air Forces, of East Orange, N.J. He will be buried in September in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with Eastman's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

On Aug. 18, 1944, Eastman departed the airdrome at Finschhafen, New Guinea, on a test flight of his F-5E-2 aircraft, but never returned. Subsequent searches failed to locate Eastman or his aircraft.

In 2003, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) found documents in the Australian National Archives about an earlier site visit believed to be associated with an F-5E crash. According to the archives, an Australian official had visited the crash site in 1950 in Morobe province near Koilil Village, but there was no subsequent recovery.

In 2004, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) investigated the crash site in the mountains of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. The team found aircraft wreckage and recommended the site be excavated.

In February-March 2007, a JPAC team excavated the crash site and recovered human remains, pilot-related items and other personal effects, including Eastman's military identification tag.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo (http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo) or call (703) 699-1169.

[paco33]

bump for the soldiers

[voyager35]

25 year old soldier died near Baghdad

A soldier from Morris County on his first deployment to Iraq has died of a non-combat injury, according to the Department of Defense.

Pvt. Ronald R. Harrison, 25, of Morris Plains, died Monday at Forward Operating Base Falcon near Baghdad.
Harrison was a Bradley fighting vehicle mechanic assigned to the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., said Kevin Larson, a Fort Stewart spokesperson.

Harrison was sent to Iraq in January 2007 on a 15-month deployment, Larson said. Harrison joined the Army in September 2005.
The Defense Department said the incident is under investigation and no further details were released.

[voyager35]

Maj. William Gregory Hall was buried at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday. Maj. Hall was killed during his third tour of duty in Iraq on March 29th. RIP

[clamchucker]

We should also remember those from the past.

BY WAYNE WOOLLEY
Star-Ledger Staff
It had been a routine mission for the men aboard the U.S. Army Air Force bomber nicknamed "The Swan."
The B-24 Liberator and its 11-man crew -- including three airmen from New Jersey -- had dropped its bombs that December night in 1943 and was returning to its home airfield in Dobodura, New Guinea. The crew members radioed ahead to ask that the runway lights be turned on. They called back a few minutes later with a question: "Why aren't the lights on?"

The plane, it turned out, was near the airfield, but headed the wrong way. It crashed into the side of a mountain, burst into flames, and was declared missing -- a fate met by hundreds of World War II planes.
More than 60 years passed and then Norma Rowe of East Hanover got a phone call about her uncle, Staff Sgt. Albert J. Caruso, who left Kearny to fight in the war and never returned.

"The woman said she worked for the Army," Rowe said. "She wanted a sample of my DNA."
She was told wreckage of a plane had been discovered and members of the military's Joint Pow/MIA Accounting Command had unearthed the crash site, analyzed the human remains and col lected artifacts such as dog tags, rings and jewelry.

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced that a four-year recovery effort had been a success -- all crew members had been accounted for and their families notified. The crew of the Swan, the Pentagon said, is coming home. The remains of nine of the 11 crew members will be buried side by side at Arlington National Cemetery in July.

Those arrangements make sense to Marlene Moore, a teacher from Mathews, Va., and one of the few remaining relatives of Staff Sgt. Robert E. Frank, a crew member from Plainfield.
"I chose for Uncle Bob to be buried next to his buddies," she said. "They've been together all these years. They should stay together."

The remains of the third man from New Jersey, Tech. Sgt. Paul Miecias of Piscataway will also be buried at Arlington.

Miecias was the plane's engineer; Caruso and Frank were gunners.
The discovery of their plane, recovery and identification of their bodies after all these years, is part of a broad Pentagon effort to bring home the nearly 90,000 service members who remain missing from America's wars. Most of the missing were from World War II. Since 1973, nearly 1,500 remains have been recovered and identified.

With each identification, a piece of family lore is restored.
Moore, the teacher from Virginia, grew up in North Plainfield and remembers her father, Ralph, talking constantly about his little brother, who never came home from the war.
"He was always talking about the trouble they got into," she said.
Her father had died by the time she got the first call from the military, in 2004.

She learned in that first call that her uncle's dog tags had been found in a preliminary search of the wreckage. But it wasn't until December that she got a visit from two military officers who came with word that tests had determined with certainty that remains found at the crash site were her uncle.
They presented her with the dog tags and a bracelet that had belonged to him.

"That just did me in," she said. "I was so overwhelmed to think they found him after all these years. They were so respectful of the fact he served."
For Norma Rowe, the East Hanover woman, learning the fate of her uncle was more bittersweet.
The DNA tests the Army took were inconclusive, nothing matched the remains found at the crash site. None of her uncle's personal effects were found either.
But the military determined that all available information, including the flight manifest and records kept by the airfield indicated that her uncle must have been aboard the Swan the night it crashed. His gunner position was closest to the fuel tanks and it'sli kely he was incinerated, Rowe said the military told her.

She gets some comfort in knowing that Caruso's two brothers are still alive and are planning to attend the funeral in Arlington.
She said they will go on behalf of her grandmother, Maria Caruso, who never let anyone forget she was a Gold Star mother.
"She was very proud of her son ... she would always say, 'If only I could see my Albert again,'" Rowe said. "There's nothing we can take to bury for him. I was hoping for her, there could be a little something."

[CharlieTuna]

:clapping::clapping: Good thread.

[pinhead44]

Nice Honor.



Navy will name destroyer after fallen Long Island SEAL


BY OWEN MORITZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Friday, May 9th 2008, 4:00 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com/img/2008/05/09/amd_m-murphy.jpg Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, of Patchogue, L.I., in undated photo.


For a Long Island (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Long+Island) SEAL, the ultimate sacrifice has led to the ultimate honor - a Navy warship will be named after him.
At a remarkable ceremony on Lake Ronkonkoma (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Lake+Ronkonkoma), Navy Secretary Donald Winter (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donald+Winter) announced that a new destroyer will be dubbed the Lt. Michael Murphy to recall the Congressional Medal of Honor (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Congressional+Medal+of+Honor+Foundation) winner from Patchogue (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Patchogue).
Once Navy warships were named after notable figures from history, Winter said, but selecting Murphy was "an opportunity to recognize this new generation of heroes."
The sailor's father, Dan Murphy (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Dan+Murphy) - a Vietnam (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Vietnam) War hero who was awarded the Purple Heart (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Military+Order+of+the+Purple+Heart) - was in tears when he heard the tribute on Wednesday. It came on what would have been his son's 32nd birthday.
"It was obviously overwhelming," Murphy said.
As far as he's concerned, the ship will be known as "The Murph" when it's commissioned in 2011. "Years from now, young sailors will know who my son was when they sail on The Murph," he said.
In June 2005, Michael Murphy (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Michael+Murphy) and three other members of the Navy's elite Sea, Air and Land force were ambushed by 100 Taliban (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/The+Taliban) warriors on a mountain ridge in Afghanistan (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Afghanistan).
Though outnumbered, Murphy and his comrades fought back furiously. Murphy and two other SEALs died in the firefight. A fourth was rescued by an Afghan herder.
Murphy, a graduate of Patchogue-Medford High School (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Patchogue-Medford+High+School), was the first Navy SEAL since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor.
The Navy announced the ship's keel would be laid next year at a shipyard in Maine (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Maine) and that the Lt. Michael Murphy would be commissioned in 2011.

[captnemo]

Navy will name destroyer after fallen Long Island SEAL




Great way to honor him, rip.

[clamchucker]

I thought this might be the appropriate place for my post. Don't anyone accuse me of being a softie, but I do read Dear Abby from time to time. Today's column really spoke to me. If anyone knows or meets any soldier at all, even a few simple words of thanks would go further than you could ever imagine.

SOLDIER'S DAD IS TOUCHED BY STRANGER'S GENEROSITY
DEAR ABBY: I am one of your many male readers. I have been up all night and need to put my thoughts down and thank someone for his act of kindness to my son.

My son, a U.S. infantry soldier, left yesterday for a 12-month deployment. After a tearful goodbye to me and to his young wife at the airport, he flew to Atlanta to join the other members of his unit for their flights overseas. He called me the evening he reached Atlanta and related this story:

He was eating a late dinner at a restaurant in the Atlanta airport. A man who appeared to be about 60 years old saw him show his military ID to the waitress when he ordered a drink with his meal. The man took my son's dinner check when he got up to leave, saying, "Let me buy a soldier a meal." When my son tried to politely refuse, the man insisted and said it was his way to thank him for what he was doing. Because Army privates don't make much money, my son was grateful. This act of kindness made a strong impression.

To that kind gentleman, I want you to know that this father is grateful, too. I sent my son into harm's way yesterday, and you, sir, a stranger, took care of him on his journey. You bought him a meal when I could not. Thank you, and God bless you. -- A SOLDIER'S GRATEFUL DAD


DEAR GRATEFUL DAD: I'm pleased to convey your gratitude. Today 190,000 members of our U.S. military are stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq doing tours -- and extended tours -- of active duty. It is completely appropriate for any civilian who sees someone in uniform to approach that person and offer thanks for his or her service. The gentleman who treated your son to dinner did it in a more tangible way than many do -- and for that he is to be commended.

[fishlipper]

Saw this on someone's car, RIP. :thumbsup:

[clamchucker]

Hope this is ok for this thread. It relates the experiences of 4 soldiers in Iraq


Before and after Iraq




The war there is not an intellectual exercise. It has real, personal consequences.
By Michael Hastings
May 12, 2008
In July 2006, four young American Army officers sat at an Italian restaurant in Sackets Harbor, N.Y., about 20 miles from Ft. Drum. Three lieutenants and a captain, they were all friends, all platoon leaders in the 10th Mountain Division; one of them was my younger brother, Jeff, then 23 years old. It was their last meal together before deploying to Iraq.

Two years later, none of the infantrymen remembers what he ordered that night; they all remember what was said: "Statistically, one in four of us is going to get injured or killed over there."

A month later, they arrived in Baghdad, right before the "surge."

On Oct. 2, 2006, Capt. Scott Quilty, 26, was leading a foot patrol in Rustimullah, a town south of Baghdad. An improvised explosive device, or IED, detonated near him. He lost his right arm and right leg.

On Dec. 21, 2006, Lt. Ferris Butler, 26, my brother's roommate at Ft. Drum and in Baghdad, drove down a road in another town along the Euphrates River. Ferris and Jeff's careers in the Army had paralleled each other's -- basic training, officer candidates school, Army Ranger school and now deployment. That day, Ferris "got hit." Another IED. He lost half his right foot and, to use the military acronym, had a "BK" on his left leg, a below-the-knee amputation, which soldiers universally agree is the best worst injury to have, as long as it's just a BK on the "nondominant" leg and the rest of your body is fine.

Lt. Gregory Cartier was my brother's neighbor at Iraq's Camp Stryker. They'd been in the same platoon in Ranger and Airborne school. On May 8, 2007, Greg was on a mission to fill potholes and IED craters in Iraqi roads. Soldiers handed sandbags down a fireman's line, with Greg in the first position closest to the hole. After throwing in several sandbags, a bomb in the hole exploded.

Greg awoke in a bed a week later. He couldn't see anything, but he heard a familiar voice and felt someone touch his arm. "Greg, it's me, Scott, can you hear me?" Greg's first thought was, "What is Scott doing back in Baghdad?" He didn't understand that they both were at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Greg had wounds all over his body; he lost his left eye and suffered a traumatic brain injury ("TBI," in military speak).

My brother, now 25, returned to the United States in November after completing his 15-month tour. He survived more than 200 combat missions -- on the same roads, in the same towns, in the same Humvees -- and received a Bronze Star; his three friends also received military decorations with high honors for their service.

I first heard the story of their eerie 2006 conversation when I met all four together for the first time in Atlantic City in December 2007. It was a dark reunion of sorts. Ferris and Scott were in wheelchairs, a position they were unaccustomed to; Greg wasn't quite himself; and all three were still living at Walter Reed. My brother, Jeff, living back at Sackets Harbor, would visit them on the weekends.

When I saw them this spring, great changes had occurred in how they were dealing with the aftermath of the war. Greg was on his way out of the Army and into law school. Going forward, he said, he no longer wanted to be defined as "a wounded warrior -- I'm just a guy who got injured in a war." Ferris was out of the wheelchair and walking, had met a wonderful woman who had come to volunteer at Walter Reed, and felt he was a completely "new person." Of the hard-nosed military breed who doesn't put too much stock in introspection, Ferris was on his way out of the hospital, with an internship on Capitol Hill lined up for the fall, his application to business school accepted at the University of Maryland. My brother was preparing to leave the Army for medical school.

Scott -- with injuries more severe, outlook perhaps a bit different -- had started working for the Survivor Corps, formerly the Landmine Survivors Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "helping each other overcome the effects of war and violence." He gave me a book its president, Jerry White -- himself a land-mine survivor -- had just finished writing called "I Will Not Be Broken: 5 Steps to Overcoming a Life Crisis."

The book gives advice on how to handle those "unavoidable moments that divide our lives into 'before' and 'after.' " For White, that encompasses those who've fought cancer, got blown up or suffered a tragic loss. White tells the stories of the survivors he's met who haven't just gotten by but have felt life's profound devastations and thrived. The "super-survivors," he calls them. It's a tough-love, self-help book that demands that we not allow ourselves to stay the victim for too long. It gives some answers to the question: How do we go on? These soldiers answer that question, each a bit differently, every day.

This was the first time I'd really gotten to know other Americans who live with the consequences of the war. While I was in Iraq covering the war for Newsweek for two years starting in 2005, the woman I planned to marry was murdered in Baghdad by insurgents on Jan. 17, 2007. Her name was Andi Parhamovich; she'd come to Iraq to work for the National Democratic Institute, an NGO. After she was killed, I returned to the U.S. and started writing. It was an act of survival, a way for me to try to make sense of what happened and to give the beautiful woman I loved a lasting tribute.

We -- Andi, me, Jeff, Greg, Scott, Ferris -- all chose to go to Iraq, volunteers for our respective causes. We were under no illusions about the risks, though that's a glib way of putting it. I don't think anyone can fully grasp the risks until whoosh, wham, through the looking glass you crash on the way to the rehab center at Walter Reed or a funeral parlor in Ohio.

Iraq often gets treated by pundits, writers and politicians -- all those thoughtful cheerleaders turned war critics -- as an intellectual exercise. It's not. Hundreds of thousands live personally with its consequences every day. The tens of thousands of Iraqis who've been killed, the families of 4,074 American servicemen and women killed, the more than 900 contractors killed, the more than 29,000 U.S. wounded. The individuals who make up such statistics -- and those who loved them -- understand what the war actually costs. How paying that cost feels.

Back to the Italian restaurant in Sackets Harbor.

"Statistically, one in four of us is going to get injured or killed."

That stat about infantry officers got turned on its head; three of the four got injured. My brother thinks he said the line that evening at the restaurant. Greg and Ferris think he did too. Scott disagrees, though, and claims it for himself.

Scott suspects that they attribute it to Jeff because he never landed at Walter Reed -- it's a trick of mental revisionism to make everyone's fate seem inevitable, not the random chance of life.

Or as Jerry White writes: "Life explodes, and nothing is ever quite the same."

[clamchucker]

Two more New Jerseyans killed in Iraq war

Lawman's loss 'hurts,' says State Police colleague
Thursday, June 26, 2008 BY RICK HEPP AND TOM FEENEY
Star-Ledger Staff

A New Jersey State Police detective on his third tour of duty overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve was killed this week when a bomb exploded inside a local government building in Baghdad.
Dwayne M. Kelley, 48, of South Orange, a major in a civil affairs unit of the Army Reserve, was one of 10 people, including four Americans, killed in the blast early Tuesday. The State Police announced his death yesterday.

"He felt it was his duty to protect his country," said his sister, Sabrina Dalton of Montclair. "He said to take it over there instead of over here. I always asked him if he was afraid or not. He never answered. He always said, 'That's my duty.' He was brave to a fault."

Kelley, a member of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay, Wis., was one of two service members from New Jersey killed in Iraq this week.

The Defense Department yesterday said Army Capt. Gregory T. Dalessio, 30, of Cherry Hill died Monday of wounds suffered during combat operations in Salman Pak, Iraq.
Dalessio was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, based in Baumholder, Germany.
Dalessio's stepfather, Tomas Pagano of Cherry Hill, last night said he last spoke with his stepson by telephone on Father's Day.
"I didn't know it was going to be my last conversation with him," Pagano said during a telephone interview. "You never suspect that."
The oldest of eight children, Dalessio was a bachelor, his stepfather said. After getting a bachelor's degree in special education from Seton Hall University in South Orange, he taught for a year before doing some college recruiting for the university, Pagano said.
Then, going through the ROTC program at Seton Hall, Dalessio got a master's degree in international relations and was commissioned in May 2004, Pagano said.
Dalessio began his second deployment in Iraq in April, a deployment that was scheduled to last 15 months, Pagano said. Shortly before he was deployed to Iraq, Pagano and his wife visited him in Germany. Dalessio spoke with his mother on Friday, and they reminisced about that last visit.


"He accomplished so much in 30 years," Pagano said. "If somebody says, 'Just think what he could have done if he lived another 30 years,' I say, 'No, because his life was fulfilled.'"

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He and Kelley are the 100th and 101st service members with ties to New Jersey to die in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Kelley, a 20-year veteran of the State Police, was a detective sergeant who worked in counter-terrorism, serving first on an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and later in the State Police Counter-Terrorism Bureau, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a department spokesman.

He was fluent in Arabic and, while serving on the FBI task force, had been sent to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to interrogate detainees.

"He touched many lives throughout the law enforcement and military communities, and he will be deeply missed by us all," State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph R. Fuentes said.
Word of Kelley's death spread over teletypes in State Police barracks across New Jersey yesterday morning.
By early afternoon, a half-dozen troopers had gathered on the lawn in front of the trooper's apartment building in South Orange where he lived with his wife, Manita. His sister said he had two adult daughters.
"He was a quality individual," said Sgt. Guy Packwood, one of the troopers outside the apartment building. "It's a real loss, a major loss. It hurts."
Packwood said he and Kelley came on the job together in the late 1980s and were close. Still, he said, Kelley had the ability to surprise him.

"For the longest time, I never knew he spoke Arabic," Packwood said. "When he told me, I was like, 'Whoa.' I was surprised, but then it made sense. A smart guy."

Kelley served two tours in Afghanistan, the first coming just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, said State Police Lt. Kevin Tormey, the assistant bureau chief of counter-terrorism.

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Kelley's career with the State Police included a six-year stint in the auto unit. When he was reassigned to counter-terrorism, he plunged into the subject, studying Arabic, the Koran and Muslim culture, Tormey said.

Kelley's job involved investigating international terrorism cases in Union, Mercer and Burlington counties. He investigated tips and leads developed from sources in New Jersey and overseas.
"Some of the cases start out as something very small. You have to flesh them out and build on it," Tormey said. "The more you connect, the bigger it becomes. You've got to do a lot of the paperwork, but you're definitely out in the field a lot talking to people. He was involved in surveillance and he was actually going to get involved in undercover stuff. It's what you make of them and he was definitely able to make some pretty good cases of them."

State Police Detective Sgt. Tanya Schultz, a member of the counter-terrorism task force that was sent to Guantánamo, said Kelley was effective as an interrogator because he made a point of speaking initially in Arabic and making sure he respected Islamic culture and customs.

"He would sit down and speak to them in their native language at first, and that kind of ingratiated him to them," she said. "Most of the time, you didn't get information with just one interview. It took rapport-building. He was able to speak to them very easily ... because he was a good listener. You could tell he truly cared about what you were saying."

The Defense Department had not yet announced Kelley's death last night. The State Police said he was killed by a bomb in Sadr City, a large, impoverished Baghdad enclave that once was a stronghold of the Shi'a militia.

The Associated Press reported two of the Americans killed in that blast were soldiers. The others were civilian employees of the U.S. government, one from the Defense Department, the other from the State Department.

The four were part of a provincial reconstruction team, a group dispatched to teach, coach and mentor Iraqis and help them with reconstruction projects.

The team went to the Sadr City district council building to attend a weekly meeting in the deputy council chief's office. The bomb went off just as the Americans entered the room and began talking to the deputy council chief, the council's spokesman, Ahmed Hassan, told the AP.

U.S. troops captured a suspect who was trying to flee the scene, the military said, claiming he tested positive for explosives residue.
The military blamed the attack on "special groups criminals," a term it uses for Shi'a militiamen refusing to follow a cease-fire order from anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

A witness said the Americans rounded up all the Iraqi guards at the building immediately after the explosion.

An initial investigation indicated the explosion was an inside job and that the bomb likely was planted on Monday to avoid the tightened security that accompanies the weekly Tuesday meetings, an Interior Ministry official said.

Kelley was a 1978 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Willingboro, Burlington County, where he was a standout forward on the basketball team. His sister said he played basketball at Rider University before transferring to Rutgers-Camden. He earned a degree from Rutgers in 1985.


Staff writer Wayne Woolley contributed to this report.

[clamchucker]

Sgt. 1st Class Joseph McKay, dead at 51

BY KIMBERLEY A. MARTIN | kimberley.martin@newsday.com (kimberley.martin@newsday.com?subject=Newsday.com Article) July 10, 2008 Sgt. 1st Class Joseph McKay couldn't shake the images from his mind.

The World Trade Center ablaze; the thick gray smoke emanating skyward; the melting steel beams as the structures gave way.

He felt compelled to do something, his family says. He believed he could make a difference, his brother recalled Wednesday.

So McKay, a member of the New York (http://www.newsday.com/topic/us/new-york-PLGEO100100800000000.topic) Army National Guard since 1977, rejoined the military full-time. Three years after serving a tour in Iraq, he went to Afghanistan. There -- just two months into his stay -- his life was cut short on June 26, eight days shy of his 52nd birthday.

At his memorial service yesterday evening, family members and friends tried to make sense of a death they believe came all too soon.

Facing the flag-draped coffin, one of McKay's brothers, Ronald McKay, said, "We spoke three weeks ago, but I can't believe that was the last time I'd hear your voice."

Hundreds, including his wife, Rose, his four children, his parents and 16 siblings, gathered at Calvary Tabernacle in Hempstead, where McKay and his wife had both been parishioners.

McKay, 51, of Cambria Heights (http://www.newsday.com/topic/us/new-york/queens-county/queens-%28queens-new-york%29/cambria-heights-PLGEO100100805011600.topic), Queens, died from injuries he suffered after his convoy was ambushed in eastern Afghanistan.

He was a month away from returning home on leave, his family said.

McKay, who had emigrated from Georgetown (http://www.newsday.com/topic/us/new-york/kings-county/brooklyn-%28kings-new-york%29/georgetown-PLGEO100100802013200.topic), Guyana, was a member of the B Troop 2nd Squadron, 101st Calvary Regiment, N.Y. Army National Guard. In the days following Sept. 11, he guarded Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal (http://www.newsday.com/topic/travel/transportation/railway-transportation/grand-central-terminal-PLTRA0000120.topic), earning a New York State Defense of Liberty Medal.

Later, he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge.

A funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at Calvary Tabernacle and a burial with full military honors in Long Island (http://www.newsday.com/topic/travel/long-island-PLTRA000031.topic) National in Farmingdale is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Volney Williams, a friend of McKay's father Whitcliff described the fallen soldier as a "polite well-mannered young man who had a burning passion for life.

"He was very simple -- not the bravado type one would expect of a soldier."

Staff writer Matthew Chayes contributed to this story.

[basshunter]

Cool thread man. Sad but at the same time makes you proud that alll these people thought enough of our country to put up their lives for it. :thumbsup: Think about that the nexttime you wanna put up some petty criticism about how you had a bad day. Rip, prayers and thoughts to all the families.

[fishlipper]

These benches are in Wildwood, NJ, near the seawall. Think they are remembrances of soldiers, not sure.

[fishlipper]

I took some of these and screwed up, they are out of focus.:embarassed: but I decided to put them up anyway in honor of the people who served our country. If anyone has clearer pics, please e-mail them to me, and I will edit this. Thanks.

[fishlipper]

more

[bababooey]

Just in time, or about time?:huh:


Sun Jul 27, 10:38 PM ET



SEATTLE - A day after the Army formally apologized for the wrongful conviction of 28 black soldiers in a riot and lynching in Seattle in 1944, one of the soldiers has died.

Rep. Jim McDermott says 83-year-old Samuel Snow died Sunday.
Snow came to Seattle to hear the formal apology delivered Saturday by Ronald James, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs.

But he missed the ceremony at Discovery Park because he was admitted to Virginia Mason Hospital with an irregular heartbeat.

Snow's son, Ray Snow, says receiving the long-delayed honorable discharge left his father at ease.

[dogfish]

Maybe a little bit of both.;)

[crosseyedbass]

Tuskegee airman paved way for others


BY GABRIEL H. GLUCK
Star-Ledger Staff

For Col. Reginald Stroud, there was no doubt in his mind why he was able to stand before the parishioners at the Second Baptist Church in Rahway yesterday in his United States Air Force uniform.
It was because of Odell McLeod and the other Tuskegee Airmen, whose sacrifices would ultimately make the segregation and discrimination, once the norm in the American military, no longer acceptable.

McLeod, 88, died Sunday. He was one of the original members of the 99th Fighter Squadron, an all-black unit, where he was part of the maintenance crew responsible for keeping the planes ready to fly.
Earlier this year, McLeod and several other Tuskegee Airmen, a unit that lost no men during combat, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.


Interviewed at the time, McLeod said when he was drafted in 1942, he had no idea the military was segregated. He arrived at Fort Dix shocked to find the line of draftees split in two: white men stood on a hill, black men stayed at the bottom. McLeod was buried yesterday afternoon at the N.J. Veterans Memorial Cemetery, not far from where he stood in that line 66 years ago.


Before the morning Homegoing Service at the Rahway church, McLeod's son Howard reminisced about his father, who for years said little about his experiences in the military.
"He didn't talk much about it. He talked more about bowling, which he loved," said his son, now 60.
But in the late'70s, when McLeod was diagnosed with cancer, he started to open up.
Within the last decade, he started attending reunions and going to local schools to talk to students about his experiences.
"Because of what he gave, America is a better place to live," said the Rev. James Ealey.



Few felt that more personally than Stroud, who is stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in Wrightstown and was part of the contingent from the base attending the funeral.
"I didn't know Mr. McLeod, but I'd like to thank him," said Stroud, an African-American. "We are the proud inheritors of his dedication and his commitment."



"It's because of his hard work and many like him that we are able to wear the uniform today," Stroud said.


Fellow Tuskegee Airman Malcolm E. Nettingham, who in recent years would visit schools together with McLeod, especially during Black History Month, said he would miss his brother in arms.
"I lost a friend and I feel sad for the family," said Nettingham, who was a radio operator and a gunner on a B-25 in the 477th Bomb Group.
But as age takes its toll on the remaining ranks of Tuskegee Airmen, Nettingham, 89, takes comfort that an organization has been established to carry on the story of the unit.


As for his own fate, Nettingham believes he is already blessed.
"I'm Christian," he said. "I praise God and I thank him that he's given me these years. I've already had my three-score and ten. I'm living on bonus time. You have to look at it, as the beginning of another life later on."


McLeod was predeceased by four brothers, William, Fred, Lacie Jr., and Edward McDaniels; and a sister, Anna Marie.
McLeod is also survived by his longtime companion, Marjorie Holmes of Linden; two brothers, Walter of Rahway and Robert of Maryland; and three sisters, Lacie Slater of Rochester, N.Y., Ruth Herriott of Maryland and Jessie Dixon of Plainfield.

[pinhead44]

Tuskegee airman paved way for others


Now there's a group that didn't get much acclaim until many years after their service. RIP Airman McCleod.

[voyager35]

RIP Michael Gonzalez, prayers and thoughts to the family.


U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 729-08
August 29, 2008

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Specialist Michael L. Gonzalez, 20, of Spotswood, New Jersey, died August 28, 2008, in Baghdad, of wounds suffered by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 340th Military Police Company, Fort Totten, New York.

For more information media may contact the Fort Monmouth public affairs office at (732) 532-1258; after hours (732) 371-2901.
Services this weekend for Spotswood soldier killed in Iraq
by Carly Rothman
Courtesy of the New Jersey The Star-Ledger
Wednesday September 03, 2008
Funeral services will be held Saturday morning for a 20-year-old Army reservist from Spotswood who was killed last month in Iraq.
U.S. Army Specialist Michael Gonzalez, a member of the military police, died August 28, 2008, in Baghdad from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/mlgonzalez-usarmy-photo-01.jpg
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at The Brunswick Memorial Home, 454 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Spotswood Reformed Church, 429 Main Street, Spotswood. Gonzalez's cremated remains will be entombed at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, with full military honors on September 10, 2008.
Memorial contributions may be made to the US Adopt a Soldier program, 7440 South Blackhawk Street, Suite 15-106, Englewood, Colorado 80112, or online at adoptaussoldier.org, or to any local food bank or blood bank.
Gonzalez, a 2006 graduate of Spotswood High School, was assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, 95th Military Police Battalion, of the 340th Military Police Company. His home unit was the 430th Military Police Detachment in Red Bank.
Gonzalez is at least the 102nd member of the armed services with ties to New Jersey to die in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He is survived by his parents, Pedro and Ida Leiby Gonzalez; his brother, Troy; his paternal grandparents, Maria and Alberto Gonzalez; his cousin, Jonathan Nourse; and his girlfriend Tiffany Loving. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, John B. and Lillian Leiby.

[Fisterfam]

I am very proud of this forum for setting up a thread such as this one. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mike Nashif and I am a SSG in the US Army stationed at Ft. Hood in Texas. My wife and I are also founders of the website www.takeasoldierfishing.com and the Combat Warrior Crisis Network. Right now our main efforts are our website and getting service members out on the water but we hope to expand to marriage counseling and retreats for deployed service members and individual counseling for service members. We are a faith based organization but we are non denominational in nature.

Having lost 11 close friends of mine in 2 deployments I know that these families fall thru the cracks and eventually become forgotten. This is a great way to pay tribute to those that we have lost, new or past. Young or old. These great men and women are part of the 6% of the American population that have ever raised their right hand to defend this great nation. Remember, Freedom Isn't Free - takeasoldierfishing.com

[katiefishes]

What an honor to see that someone from the Armed Forces has seen this thread and the hard work of bunkerjoe and all the members, who want to pay tribute to those who gave their life for their country.

It is difficult to read but a wonderful tribute to our bravest men and women. I truly believe that they must never be forgotten.

Mike, there are not enough words to thank you and your comrades for the sacrifices that you make every day. I pray that God keeps all of you safe.

[Fisterfam]

Katiefishes - You don't have to "say" thanks...take them fishing... we know. Little things like these tributes all over the web make us proud to serve. Take a service out fishing and just BS for the day and maybe catch some fish and they will remember it for the rest of their lives. Thanks again. Mike

[strikezone31]

<H1>Crash of military helicopter in Mideast killed four Texas Army National Guard soldiers

Star-Telegram
By CHRIS VAUGHN

The deaths of four Texas Army National Guard soldiers in what appeared to be a helicopter accident last week marked the deadliest day in years for the state’s citizen-soldiers.
Among those killed was a sergeant from Springtown, a soldier from Kennedale and a first sergeant from San Antonio. Three National Guardsmen from Oklahoma also died in the accident, which occurred at midnight Thursday as their CH-47 Chinook flew from Kuwait into Iraq.
Military authorities said there was no indication of enemy fire.
The Defense Department had still not released the names of the seven men by Saturday evening, but word was leaking out into communities anyway.
The family of Sgt. Anthony Luke Mason, 37, of Springtown confirmed that he was a casualty. The Oklahoman newspaper and the Kennedale school district confirmed the death of Warrant Officer Corry Edwards, 38, of Kennedale. The San Antonio Express-News identified another casualty as 1st Sgt. Julio Ordonez, a 30-year veteran of the Guard from San Antonio.
The Oklahoman also identified as casualties Sgt. Dan Eshbaugh, 43, of Norman; Cpl. Michael Thompson, 23, of Kingston; and Warrant Officer Brady Rudolf, 37, of Moore.
All of the men were serving with the 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, a 600-person unit based in Grand Prairie. That unit and its 32 helicopters deployed to Iraq in late August and operates out of the Balad area.
Mason worked full time for the National Guard unit. He joined the Guard about 12 years ago as a mechanic. He became part of the flight crew a few years ago as an additional challenge.
It was Mason’s second deployment to Iraq.
"He represented his country well," his mother-in-law, Shirley Stroud, said. "He believed in his country."
A native of Azle, Mason enjoyed fishing, bowling and hunting deer on a lease near Graham. But his family said he most loved spending time with his daughters — a 13-year-old, twin 8-year-olds and a 4-year-old — in their sports and cheerleading.
The coming months will be very hard on his family — their birthdays are in September, October and November.
"He was a very hands-on dad," Stroud said. "They’ll have a lot of great memories."
Edwards’ family declined to comment Saturday.

http://media.star-telegram.com/smedia/2008/09/20/22/673-Sgt._Anthony_Luke_Mason_09-21-2008_Tarrant_PEP4H2S.embedded.prod_affiliate.58.jp g (http://media.star-telegram.com/smedia/2008/09/20/22/715-Sgt._Anthony_Luke_Mason_09-21-2008_Tarrant_PEP4H2S.standalone.prod_affiliate.58. jpg)
</H1>

[dogfish]

Man, another 4 down. Ya think it won't matter as much much if ya didn't know these guys personally, but it gets me every time.

Thoughts and prayers to the families.


I found this song, hope it's appropriate.

Amazing grace - for the soldiers
_evMoyEjQBE

[ledhead36]

Man, another 4 down. Ya think it won't matter as much much if ya didn't know these guys personally, but it gets me every time.

Thoughts and prayers to the families.


I found this song, hope it's appropriate.

Amazing grace - for the soldiers
_evMoyEjQBE

Great video, thoughts and prayers. RIP

[albiealert]

Man, another 4 down. Ya think it won't matter as much much if ya didn't know these guys personally, but it gets me every time.

Thoughts and prayers to the families.


I found this song, hope it's appropriate.

Amazing grace - for the soldiers
_evMoyEjQBE

Amazing video and pic compilation.:clapping:

[katiefishes]

I went to Vermont recently and while driving down HWY 100 I came across this tribute to all of the soliders who have been killed in Iraq. One flag for each soul.

It really makes you stop and think. They were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters. Uncles, Aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. They were our protector. They gave us the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, fighting for our freedom, fighting for what they believe in. Their families gave us their most precious gift.

This memorial was soul searching and heart wrenching.

[bababooey]

You read the numbers killed in the news, but nothing is as moving as seeing it right there in front of you in graphic representation.

Nice job, Katie, thanks for posting.

[bababooey]

This was in the Ledger the other day. I found it moving. :clapping:


Pushing past pain to honor a lost soldier

Fallen officer's wounded pal goes the extra mile in Holmdel memorial run
Monday, November 10, 2008 BY MARYANN SPOTO
Star-Ledger Staff


When Marion Zilinski heard her son's buddy planned to jog in a memorial run yesterday, she cautioned the Iraq War veteran against the idea.

But Capt. Dan Downs, still recovering from a severe gunshot wound, wouldn't be dissuaded. Two years ago, friends pushed him through the course in a wheelchair. Last year, he walked the two miles. So, as a personal challenge and a tribute to his friend, Downs wanted to run this year.

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For Downs, a 28-year-old Army captain from Virginia, the third annual Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Run yesterday was not only a physical triumph, but also an emotional one.

"The mother in me wants him not to, because I don't want him to get hurt," Zilinski said two days before the run that pays tribute to her 23-year-old son, who was killed in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005. "But then again, the mother in me knows he needs to do this for himself to honor his friend. That makes the mother in me so proud of him."

Downs said there was no question he'd run this year, two years after being shot in the lower left leg. The Zilinskis had become like his second family. He and Dennis, though two years apart at West Point, swam on the same team and Downs, then living in New Mexico, spent Thanksgivings at the Zilinski home.

"The point is, it's a run to honor Dennis. Dennis was an athlete. I'm an athlete. Athletes don't stop. They like pushing themselves, pushing their bodies," said Downs, now an Army ROTC instructor at the University of Virginia.

The run, held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, is a primary source of income for the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Foundation established by the family to help wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, the foundation has doled out about half of the $200,000 it has raised to individuals and to programs helping soldiers adapt to their new lives.

Marion Zilinski remembered being impressed by Underwater Warriors, a program that teaches amputees to scuba dive. When she reached out to the coordinator, she discovered the program was successful in its mission but struggling financially.

"Maybe someday I can help," Zilinski told the coordinator last year, without letting on she planned to make a sizable donation.

For two years in a row, the foundation's contributions have kept the program afloat while staffers seek federal funding, Zilinski said.
Earlier this year, the Zilinskis learned of a soldier from Howell who lost both legs to an improvised explosive device in Iraq. The foundation paid the cost of renovating his bathroom to accommodate his disability.

"It's touched a nerve," said Karen Connors, chairwoman of the run. "People really see there's so much good that can come out of something so tragic."

The foundation also distributes two scholarships annually for Christian Brothers Academy in the Lincroft section of Middletown, the alma mater of Dennis and his younger brother, Matthew, who has followed in his footsteps.

Matthew Zilinski was a senior at Norwich University, a military college in Vermont, when Dennis was killed. Yet he continued with his plans for military service. A member of the Army National Guard, Matthew Zilinski, now 24, is a 1st lieutenant with the 508th Military Police Co. in Teaneck.

The memorial run, expected to draw anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 participants, is the Zilinski family's way of paying tribute to the sacrifices of soldiers.

"My parents lost a son. I lost my brother. I lost my best friend," Matthew said. "On the run, you can see how much pleasure and how much life we're putting out in my brother's name. We're supporting all these other people. We're giving them a new life, a new beginning. We're giving them something to make their life that much easier. It's in the name and honor of my brother."

[clamchucker]

Kentuckian killed in Vietnam 40 years ago is finally put to rest in Arlington

Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:34 am


WASHINGTON — It has been 40 years since Maj. John Lee McElroy's C-130 transport plane was shot down from the Kham Duo airstrip in the Quang Tin Province of Vietnam.

In that time, the Kentuckian's son, Russell, who was barely in his teens when his father died, has seen far more years than his father ever did. The major's daughters Linda and Mary, young girls when their father went to war, are married and have careers.

*
External Link Arlington National Cemetery

He has nine grandchildren that he'll never meet. And his wife, Regina, died several years ago without ever getting the chance to lay to rest her husband, who was from Eminence in Henry County.

But sometimes the ones we've lost come back ... even if in the most unexpected ways.

On a cold, gray Thursday, the McElroy family gathered at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, D.C., to honor the Vietnam veteran whose body had been missing for nearly half a century but whose remains were recently recovered. It was a solemn affair and family members braced themselves against the winter chill as soldiers in dress uniforms honored a fallen comrade.

Behind them rows and rows of headstones dotted the winter landscape, stretching back as far as the eye could see.

"The last time I saw him he was flying out from Fayette County Airport in Lexington. He hugged me and said, Russell you need to take care of your mother and sisters," said Russell McElroy, who lives in Bowling Green.

The Air Force officer's last days were spent a world away in a place where the trees had exotic names and the air was hot and smelled of creosote.

American soldiers had spent several days defending their position, on a narrow grassy plain surrounded by rugged jungle, from a near-constant deluge of gunfire and grenade attacks. Officers decided to extract troops after the North Vietnamese Army launched an attack on the main compound. Napalm, cluster bomb units and 750-pound bombs were hurled into the final wire barriers, according to military records.

During the evacuation, panic ensued.

"As more infantry tried to clamber into the outbound planes, the outraged Special Forces staff convinced the Air Force to start loading civilians onboard a C-130, then watched as the civilians pushed children and weaker adults aside," records show.

The crew of that U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft included McElroy, the navigator; Maj. Bernard Bucher, pilot; Staff Sgt. Frank Hepler, flight engineer; 1st Lt. Steven Moreland, co-pilot; George Long, loadmaster; Capt. Warren Orr, passenger; and an undetermined number of Vietnamese civilians.

The North Vietnamese Army forces fired on the plane and it exploded in midair and crashed roughly a mile from camp. The plane burned quickly and was destroyed—save for a portion of the tail.

All crew and passengers were thought to be dead.

That was on a Sunday, Mother's Day. McElroy's wife and family members waited a day to tell his three young children that their father had died.

"For a long time, me and my sisters believed and hoped that this was just an accident and that my dad was alive. It took us a while to overcome that," Russell McElroy said.

Years later, a grief-stricken son pointed his new motorcycle eastward along the Blue Ridge Parkway and sped through icy evening rains toward Washington D.C. and a memorial wall where his father's name, along with thousands of others, is etched in the black granite.

"The next day was beautiful and it helped get my heart right to see my dad and all those other veterans," he said.

Gov. Steve Beshear ordered flags at all state office buildings lowered to half-staff on Thursday. As family members return to Kentucky, where their ancestors have lived for generations, where they last waved goodbye to their loved one, the McElroys take comfort in knowing that at last their father has come home.

Another account:


Servicemen MIA From Vietnam War are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the group remains of six U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, are soon to be buried with full military honors.
They are Maj. Bernard L. Bucher, of Eureka, Ill.; Maj. John L. McElroy, of Eminence, Ky.; 1st Lt. Stephen C. Moreland, of Los Angeles; and Staff Sgt. Frank M. Hepler, of Glenside, Pa., all U.S. Air Force. These men will be buried as a group on Dec. 18 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Two other servicemen, who were individually identified in October 2007, are also represented in this group. They are Capt. Warren R. Orr Jr., U.S. Army, of Kewanee, Ill., and Airman 1st Class George W. Long, U.S. Air Force, of Medicine Lodge, Kan.
Representatives from the Air Force and the Army mortuary offices met with the next-of-kin of these men to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Air Force and the secretary of the Army.
On May 12, 1968, these men were on board a C-130 Hercules evacuating Vietnamese citizens from the Kham Duc Special Forces Camp near Da Nang, South Vietnam. While taking off, the crew reported taking heavy enemy ground fire. A forward air controller flying in the area reported seeing the plane explode in mid-air soon after leaving the runway.
In 1986 and 1991, U.S. officials received remains and identification tags from sources claiming they belonged to men from this incident. Scientific analysis revealed they were not American remains, but it was believed the Vietnamese sources knew where the crash site was located.
In 1993, a joint/U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), traveled to Kham Duc and interviewed four local citizens concerning the incident. They led the team to the crash site and turned over remains and identification tags they had recovered in 1983 while looking for scrap metal. During this visit, the team recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage at the site. In 1994, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered remains, pieces of life-support equipment, crew-related gear and personal effects.
JPAC scientists used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence in the identification of the remains.



Although it's sad news, it's good to finally bring closure to these families. The guys from the Vietnam war do not always get the recognition they deserve. :clapping:

[dogfish]

IRAQ: Slain Marines awarded Navy Cross (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/11/slain-marines-a.html)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/20/navycross.jpg Two young Marines will be posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for stopping a terrorist attack on a Marine and Iraqi police outpost in Ramadi and saving dozens of lives, the Marine Corps announced today.
Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter, 19, of Sag Harbor, N.Y., and Cpl. Jonathan Yale, 21, of Burkeville, Va., were standing guard on April 22 when a truck filled with 2,000 pounds of explosives barreled toward the outpost's main gate.
Haerter and Yale, following Marine training, fired at the truck. As the truck rolled to a stop, it exploded, killing the pair, demolishing a nearby mosque and house, and leaving a crater 20 feet in diameter and 5 feet deep.
Security film showed that the two Marines never flinched as they continued to fire at the truck, according to an investigation by the Marine Corps. "Both Marines were killed still firing their weapons," said Maj. Gen. John Kelly, the top Marine in Iraq.
Three Marines, eight Iraqi officers and 24 civilians -- all more than 100 yards from the blast -- were injured. An additional 50 Marines and dozens of Iraqi police officers, in a barracks farther from the gate, were unhurt.
"I have a son back home, and I know if that truck would've made it to where it was going -- I wouldn't be here today," Lance Cpl. Lawrence Tillery said after the attack. "Because of Lance Cpl. Haerter and Cpl. Yale, I will be able to see my son again. They gave me that opportunity."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/20/haerterx.jpg Haerter was with the 1st Battalion, 9th Regiment; Yale with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment. Both were attached to Regimental Combat Team One from Camp Pendleton. Yale’s family said he was within weeks of coming home.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/20/yale.jpg The Navy Cross is the nation's second highest award for bravery by Marines or sailors in combat. While there have been other Navy Cross awards during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the bravery of Haerter and Yale was unusual because it was captured on film and seen by numerous witnesses.
"For their dedication, they lost their lives," Kelly said at the Marine base in Al Asad. "Only two families had their hearts broken on April 22 rather than as many as 50. These families will never know how truly close they came to a knock on the door that night."
-- Tony Perry in Al Asad, Iraq

[DarkSkies]

:clapping::clapping: This is a great thread, I found a link to a site that has stories of most of the fallen soldiers.
http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2007/03/01/iraq/interactivehomemenu2526493.shtml



Also, great job for those who are still helping the ones who are alive, like Mike Nashif's program Take a Soldier Fishing. I'm registered on that site, any active military contact me in the spring or summer it you want to go fishing from the surf.

www.takeasoldierfishing.com (http://www.takeasoldierfishing.com)

[jigfreak]

SFC Ron Wood - KIA - Operation Iraqi Freedom
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2846895457_acdbe69bae.jpg?v=0http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif


My father and I visited the grave site of SFC Ronald Wood who was killed in Iraq on 16 July 2005. Ron and I served together in the same unit in Iraq. While clearing away the weeds and debris around the headstone, we discovered a dog tag left there by another soldier who deployed with us. So following in his steps I left one of my dog tags. Additionally, I left, as the first dog tag on the wire loop we constructed, a 'Warrior First' dog tag our unit created in memory of Ron and given to us the day of his memorial service in Iraq.

I invite others who visit this site to leave one of their dog tags as well, placing it behind the previous one, as a growing memorial to our friend Ron.


What follows below is a transcript of the email I sent home just days after Ron was killed. It portrays intimately the feelings of that time. Please read with respect.


22 July 2005
FOB Warrior
Kirkuk, Iraq

As most of you have heard by now, Saturday the 16th of July was a very tragic day for the Boys of Bravo Battery. SFC Ron Wood was killed by a roadside bomb called an IED (improvised Explosive Device). I had seen Ron and his crew just before their convoy left not over an hour previously. I was working in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) when I overheard the radio traffic about a convoy being hit on the same route they were on. They were traveling with another unit so I wasn't in direct radio contact with them. I was able to determine they were stopped in the same area but not if they were involved.

My first thoughts were hopes for it to be just like previous times where an IED exploded but doesn't cause any casualties or just delivers minor damage to a vehicle. It soon became apparent, however, that this time would be different. There was a call for a MEDIVAC chopper and reports of three casualties. The term casualty is used generically for anyone injured or killed. By now the command leadership was all in the TOC monitoring the radio traffic for more details.

Within a few minutes the units on scene reported one KIA (Killed in Action) and two WIA's (Wounded in Action) and that Battle Roster numbers would follow. Battle Rosters are identification numbers assigned to every soldier. As they read the first Battle Roster number, two people wrote it down while I checked it against our list. As soon as they got it out, we knew SFC Wood had been killed. My heart sunk and we were all stunned with the realization our worst fear had just been realized. Two more Battle Rosters were read indicating SGT Chris Olsen and SPC Eric Lund.

Saturday night we had a chance to view Ron's remains during which the Chaplain offered words and prayer. A 'family' prayer from a fellow soldier and comments from the First Sergeant were also offered.

I feel the words of the 1SG brought comfort to many of us. SFC Wood was the epitome of what a soldier should be. Ron was more than just physically strong, he was well built, a result of years working out in the gym. He understood the Army and how it works, due in part to working full-time for the Guard, for how long I’m not sure. He had one previous deployment experience with the Triple Deuce when they were schedule to go to Iraq but ended up in Fort Lewis training ROTC. Ron was a gifted leader of soldiers, understanding how to motivate and lead in ways his men wanted to follow. They were loyal to him and would follow him anywhere. ISG Martinez said he lived his life by the Soldier’s Creed and gave his life defending that creed:

SOLDIER’S CREED

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an
expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy
the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a
guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

1SG Martinez has a phrase he repeats so often it’s almost become our official slogan: Do The Right Thing! SFC Wood was a warrior who did the right thing. Even in his death, he was doing all the right things. In my opinion, as well as other’s, he was the very best soldier of Bravo Battery.

Sunday morning there was a 'ramp side' ceremony. This is where Ron's remains in a flag draped coffin were carried from the FLA (military ambulance) to the C-130 aircraft flown in to take him home. It's a formal ceremony which all available personnel attend; I estimate roughly a thousand Army and Air Force personnel were there. I had only been to one before, that for SPC French, a female soldier from Idaho belonging to the 145th Support Battalion in our 116th Brigade. It was very solemn and touching.

The ramp side ceremony for Ron was even more touching because he was one of ours. After a group of Bravo Battery soldiers retrieved Ron's casket from the FLA, the chaplain offer his first prayer. 'Present Arms' is sounded and we all salute as the casket is then carried between the ranks of soldiers and airmen and past the color guard to the waiting aircraft. The casket bearers stopped at the bottom of the aircraft ramp and the chaplain offered a final prayer, this time a reading of the 23rd Psalms. The casket is then walked onto the plane and the bearers offer a final salute then march off. The aircraft loadmaster formally accepted the remains and the ceremony was finished.

Then it was time to say goodbye. Not a word was said but we all followed as commander slowly walked to the tail of the aircraft, pausing to say a final goodbye to Ron. For a moment I stood to the side of him, my emotions overwhelmed as my eyes filled again with tears, and said my goodbye. I stood at attention, saluted, then moved away.

For the first two days we stood down all operations and patrols, using this down time to regroup and mourn the loss of our brother in arms. On Thursday a formal memorial service for Ron was held during which tributes were given, a final roll call for the soldier, a moment of silence, a 21-gun salute, the playing of Taps and the traditional empty boots, dog tags and an inverted rifle with a helmet on top to represented the fallen comrade.

Ron did not lose his life in vain. Our cause here is still just. History will look back on Operation Iraqi Freedom and judge it a major milestone in bringing peace to this region and an increase freedom from the terrorist intent on tormenting the United States. I am now more resolved to make sure my little part counts in hopes doing so will help Ron’s life to have not been lost in vain.

Since I have deployed to Iraq I have consistently worn a red band given me by the Brett and Zell Allred, the parents of Lance Cpl Michael Allred, a friend of mine from Cache Valley was killed in Falluja last September. The words “Life – Liberty – Freedom” are etched into the band as a constant reminder of what he died for and what I fight for. Yesterday after the service Ron, we were each given a single dog tag with the following on it:

WOOD RONALD T.
SFC
16 JULY 2005
WARRIOR FIRST

I will carry this in memory of SFC Ronald Wood who gave his life that each of us, along with the people of Iraq and America, may indeed have life full of liberty and freedom.

[clamchucker]

Another young fellow we lost recently. Thoughts and prayers to his family.



http://www.app.com/article/20090307/NEWS01/90307019&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
Family, friends honor fallen soldier

Soldier from Union Beach is laid to rest


http://cmsimg.app.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=B3&Date=20090307&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=90307019&Ref=AR&MaxW=180&Border=0 (http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?template=zoom&Site=B3&Date=20090307&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=90307019&Ref=AR)
Corporal Brian M. Connelly (Handout photo)



By CHRISTINA VEGA • COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU • March 7, 2009



Family, friends and loved ones of Corporal Brian M. Connelly paid their final
respects this morning during a memorial service and burial for the fallen soldier.
http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-e4m3Yko6bFYVc.gif?labels=NewsAndReference,CultureA ndSociety

An overwhelming crowd of about 200 people attended the service at Day Funeral Home in Keyport to honor the Union Beach resident's memory. The procession continued to Forest Green Park Cemetery where Connelly was laid to rest with full
military honors.



"Indeed, no one has a better love than this, to lay one's life on the line for others. Brian has done just this," said Col. Mark Farnham, the Army chaplain who led the memorial service.

Connelly, a 26-year-old combat engineer with the Army, died Feb. 26 in Baghdad, Iraq, after his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. A 2000 graduate of Red Bank Regional High School, Connelly joined the Army in the fall of 2007.

"He was a rock to all of his friends," said Jules Wagner, a friend of Connelly's who gave a eulogy at the service.

Just hours before he was killed, Connelly told his wife of just five months, Kara Connelly, 23, that his tour was shortened by three months and he would return in May to Baumholder, Germany, where his battalion is based.

Connelly was slated to return home to the United States in January 2010.

[plugginpete]

This thread is amazing. What a wonderful tribute to the people who served their county and gave their lives.


Army Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson

24, of Madison, Wis.; was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve and was assigned to the 715th Military Police Company, Florida National Guard, Melbourne, Fla.; died Feb. 24 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Also killed were Capt. Brian M. Bunting, Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch and Sgt. Scott B. Stream.



http://www.militarycity.com/valor/images/memorial_flag.jpg

Soldier from Madison killed in Afghanistan

The Associated Press

PORTAGE, Wis. — A 24-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan loved cars, playing hockey and his motorcycle, his family said.
Army Sgt. Daniel James Thompson of Madison was the lead driver in a convoy when he was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, said his mother, Lisa Thompson of Portage.
“I was proud of my baby. He never disappointed me. He always smiled. I’m very proud of him,” Lisa Thompson told the Portage Daily Register.
The Defense Department said Thursday three other soldiers, from Maryland, Oklahoma and Illinois, also died in the blast.
Thompson was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve assigned to the Florida National Guard’s 715th Military Police Company headquartered in Melbourne, the Pentagon said.
Thompson belonged to the Wisconsin National Guard until 2007, when he was placed on inactive status until he was called back for duty in Afghanistan with the Florida company, said Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, a Guard spokesman in Florida.
Thompson is the eighth soldier or Marine from Wisconsin to die in fighting in Afghanistan since a U.S.-led offensive ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001.

[ledhead36]

Though it is a sad reality that no one wants to see. Bush tried to hide the devastation by banning the press from fallen soldiers being transported home. By reporting this it gives the American people time to honor a man who defended their country.


'Dignified transfer' in front of the cameras: Welcome the fallen home with honor

Posted by Dan Murphy/ The Star-Ledger (http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/about.html) April 07, 2009 5:51AM

Categories: Policy Watch (http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/policy_watch_1/)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2009/04/large_phillipmeyers.jpgAndrew Mills/The Star-LedgerDOVER, Del. -- A US Air Force 'Carry Team' remove the remains of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Va., from an aircraft during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. Myers was killed April 4 in Afghanistan, after being hit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

The photos (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/media_witnesses_return_of_air.html) captured the solemnity of the moment: a fallen member of the service being returned to his country.
The body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Va., arrived Sunday night at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The flag-covered casket bearing his remains was taken from a cargo plane by a team of eight servicemen and women in a silent ceremony known simply as a "dignified transfer (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/media_witnesses_return_of_air.html)."

Before 1991, the return of the nation's war dead from overseas was often the subject of news coverage, but during the Persian Gulf War that year, President George H.W. Bush banned the media from these ceremonies. The stated intent was to protect the privacy of the families of those killed in action.


Grief is private, but death in the service of the nation is a loss shared by every citizen. For the media to bear witness on behalf of the public to the sacrifice of one of its service members honors that sacrifice and reminds us all of the human cost of war.
The sensitivities of the survivors have not been set aside. The new policy adopted earlier this year by Defense Secretary Robert Gates allows family members to decide whether the return of a loved one will be open to the media. Gates was right to put an end to the outright ban.

Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the ban itself had become a political issue in the debate over the war and American foreign policy. To many, it seemed part of an effort to downplay the casualties and sanitize the public perception of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) pushed unsuccessfully for legislation to lift what he called the "shroud of secrecy." The senator welcomed Gates' change of policy in February, saying: "We should honor -- not hide -- flag-draped coffins. They are a symbol of the respect, honor and dignity that our fallen heroes deserve."
Sunday night's transfer of the body of Myers was indeed conducted with dignity. About 30 members of the media were present to record the event, which took place in silence except for a prayer said by a chaplain. Under the military's ground rules, the journalists also were silent, and no camera flashes were used.
A second soldier's body had arrived on the same aircraft, but that family had not given permission for coverage, so its transfer was conducted without the media present, CNN reported.

The wishes of any family that chooses to decline coverage should be respected. To the family members of Sergeant Myers, we owe thanks for his service and for being allowed to share in grieving their loss.

[bababooey]

Though it is a sad reality that no one wants to see. Bush tried to hide the devastation by banning the press from fallen soldiers being transported home. By reporting this it gives the American people time to honor a man who defended their country.



I don't necessarily agree that Bush was conpletely responsible. He had a lot of military advisors helping him make that decision. However, I agree with full disclosure. We should be able to see those coffin pics of those kids who paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives.

[DarkSkies]

This soldier wasn't killed in action, he made it home. But he did get awarded a Purple Heart for saving the life of another soldier, and I wanted to put something up about him here.

His name was John Flue, and he died this week. He was no relation to me, but we kinda adopted his family, and got close to them over the years.

He got the Purple Heart at Heartbreak Ridge in Korea, when he pulled another soldier down into a foxhole to save him as they were being rained on by mortar fire. He saved that soldier's life by his quick thinking, and got his arm ripped up by the explosion as a result.

So they awarded him a Purple Heart, which sat home buried in his attic. He never bragged about it, and talked about it only if asked a specific question when people said they heard he got one. He was a very humble guy who thought nothing special of his service to our country. It's what guys did at the time, and in his mind he was no different that anyone else, just a job to do to keep us safe. :clapping:

A little about Heartbreak Ridge:

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a month-long battle in the Korean War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War) fought between September 13 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_13) and October 15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_15), 1951 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951). The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in an area known as "The Punchbowl", which served as an important Communist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) staging area. The United Nations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations) first initiated limited operations to seize the high ground surrounding the Punchbowl in late July.
The battle site is located in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel north (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/38th_parallel_north) (the prewar boundary between North (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea) and South Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea)), near Chorwon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorwon).

Thanks for your service to our country, John. I'm glad I got to know you and your family. RIP, man. :thumbsup:

[crosseyedbass]

Family, Friends Mourn Loss of Local Soldier Killed in Iraq
posted 05/15/09 4:36 pm




http://www.acc-tv.com/images/wjla/news/vidcap_5soldierkilled051509.jpg


Family of Maryland Native Killed in Iraq Shooting Speaks Out (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0509/622369.html)



FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - A Virginia family is mourning a soldier, killed fighting in Iraq. Corporal Ryan McGhee was on his fourth deployment to a war zone when he died.

Corporal Ryan McGhee had known since he was a teenager that he wanted to be an Army Ranger. He was in his fourth tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan this week when his unit came under fire, claiming the life of the 21-year-old Virginian.

"The loss has been devastating for me and my family; never in a million years would I have thought this would happen," said Steven McGhee, Ryan's father.
"He was my best friend. I feel like I lost half of myself," said his brother, Zac.

Ryan graduated from Massaponax High School where he was a well-liked student who met the woman he was to marry during his sophomore year.

"I lost my soul mate. I don't know what else to say. He was my one and only, so it's been difficult for all of us," said Ashleigh Mitchell, Ryan's fiance.

Students at McGhee's high school in Fredericksburg were told Wednesday that he had died in the line of duty. The news hit faculty the hardest.

"He was always talking about he wanted to give back to the country; he wanted to do something for the country. He was such a proud American," said Joe Rodkey, the principal of Massaponax High School.

"Sometimes in death people can kind of embellish a little bit, but in this case it's not an embellishment at all, he was the genuine article," said his coach.

Today, the family is struggling with its emotions as it makes final arrangements. Family members hope Corporal Ryan McGhee will never be forgotten.

"He was a good man and a good son, and he will be deeply, deeply missed," added his father.

[DarkSkies]

I belatedly opened this. It came from Mike Nashif, who runs Operation "Take a Soldier Fishing".
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1628

The Memorial day message coming from a veteran such as Mike, who was in the Operation Iraqui Freedom (OIF) conflict, was moving. So I thought I would post it here. Thanks for sending it, Mike! :HappyWave:

Thanks to all the soldiers past and present, and Mike and his fellow soldiers. and their families for the sacrifices you have made for this country. :thumbsup::thumbsup:



***********************


Here are some pictures that were given to me when I was in Iraq during OIF II back in 2004. They were inspirational then and I think they are inspirational now. They have stood the test of time a lot like the will of the American People despite war and things that should be considered acts of war.

Let us remember what today is about and remember those that have given their lives and paid the Ultimate Sacrifice for our country. I am not going to make this a long drawn out email because the only thing I would like for you to do is pick at least one person that you know that has given their life for our Country and say their name out loud in Remembrance.

In loving memory of SPC Charles Odums II – Combat Medic who died while on night patrol in SE Baghdad in 2004 by a roadside bomb. Father, Husband, soldier and friend.

In loving memory of SPC Raymond White – Cav Scout who died when his convoy was ambushed. He died squeezing the trigger in SE Baghdad in 2004 – Friend and soldier.

Please also take the time to remember all the people that lost their lives when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers. Feel the heat from the flames and smell the smoke from the fuel. Listen to the screams and taste the dust and ash. Don’t lose focus as to why we are at war with terrorists because they will always be there hiding and waiting cowardly in the shadows. Pretending to be something they are not and wishing they were something that they very well could possibly be…. FREE.

If you feel this worthy then pass it along otherwise just say the names you know out loud.

May you Rest In Peace as you are not Forgotten.

Freedom Isn’t Free

Thank you


6788

6789

6790

[DarkSkies]

Are you proud to be an American? A friend sent this to me, thanks B! :HappyWave:


YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP
>
>
>
>
> These thoughts tell us how the rest of the world thinks about us........
>
>
>
> When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell
> was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for
> Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George Bush.
>
> He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United
> States has sent many of its fine young men and women
> into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders.
> The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return
> is enough to bury those that did not return."
>
> You could have heard a pin drop.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> There was a 20 conference in France where a number of
> international engineers were taking part, including French
> and American. During a break, one of the French engineers
> came back into the room saying "Have you heard the latestdumb stunt Bush
> has done?"
> "He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami
> victims."
> "What does he intend to do, bomb them?"
> A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our
> carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat
> several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply
> emergency electrical power to shor e facilities; they
> have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000
> people three meals a day , they can produce several
> thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each
> day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in
> transporting victims and injured to and from their flight
> deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does
> France have?"
>
> You could have heard a pin drop.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference
> that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian,
> Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception,
> he found himself standing with a large group of Officers
> that included personnel from most of those countries.
> Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped
> t heir drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that,
> whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn
> only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we
> always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking
> French?'
> Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe
> it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and
> Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
>
> You could have heard a pin drop.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
>
> Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in
> Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to
> locate his passport in his carry on.
>
> 'You have been to France before, monsieur the
> customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he
> had been to France previously.
>
> Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.
> The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't
> have to show it.
>
> 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports
> on arrival in France !'
>
> The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard
> look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore
> at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
> I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport
> to.
>
> You could have heard a pin drop.
>
> If you are proud to be an American, pass this on!
>
> I am ,and I did.
>

[Pebbles]

Beautiful "Taps"

WsWDgL6hx4E

[DarkSkies]

Beautiful "Taps"

WsWDgL6hx4E


That is moving, Pebbles, she sounds like the notes are coming from her soul. :clapping::clapping:

[DarkSkies]

One of our good members sent this to me and asked me to post it. If you were touched reading it, please consider sending it on to a friend.

I remember posting something like this a while ago, but I personally have forgotten to do this. It's always nice to have a reminder. Thanks, B. :HappyWave:



Red Shirt

If the red shirt thing is new to you, read below how it went for a man...

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but didn’t put two and two together.

After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

No, he responded.
Heading out, I asked?

No. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pick him up?

No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq , I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days.

I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, “Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.”

Upon landing in Chicago , the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military men and women for what they do so we can live the way we do.

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that ... every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever.

The first thing a soldier says when asked, "What can we do to make things better for you?" is: "We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity by example and wear something red every Friday.

IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON.

IF YOU DON’T -- THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON

[jigfreak]

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m77/HAWKBAIT/fallenheroes.jpg (javascript:void(0);)

[DarkSkies]

I understand that they feel they must defend and fight for what they believe is right, but in this case I feel they are dead wrong. Sent in by Fin, thanks! :HappyWave:

God Bless all our soldiers. :thumbsup:


If we don't continue to stand up for our rights, no one else will.....

I'm going to keep this going...


I AM HONORED TO DO THIS



Did you know that the ACLU has filed a suit to have all military cross-shaped headstones removed and another suit to end prayer from the military completely. They're making great progress. The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus' name in prayer thanks to the retched ACLU and our new administration.
I'm not breaking this one. If I get it a 1000 times, I'll forward it a 1000 times!





Let us pray...



http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f33227%5fAJzFtEQAAIbEStYhFAaEkT4go ek&pid=7&fid=Inbox&inline=1




http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f33227%5fAJzFtEQAAIbEStYhFAaEkT4go ek&pid=10&fid=Inbox&inline=1




Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands Protect them as they protect us Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.
There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.


















GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!

[hookset]

This is a terrible tragety. So many good lives lost on our own turf.

By BRIAN SKOLOFF and ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writers Brian Skoloff And Angela K. Brown, Associated Press Writers – 49 mins ago

FORT HOOD, Texas – A chaplain exhorted hundreds of mourners gathered at a candlelight vigil to not give up hope as Fort Hood and its surrounding community looked to each other for comfort after an Army psychiatrist allegedly went on a deadly shooting spree at the military base.

A grief counseling center was set up Friday at the Killeen Community Center to help residents struggling to make sense of one of the worst mass shootings ever on a base in the United States. At least 13 people died and more than two dozen were wounded in the attack a day earlier.
The alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was wounded and taken into custody after a gunfire exchange with two civilian police officers. At least 13 people died and more than two dozen were wounded.

Like other military installations nationwide, the bonds between Fort Hood and the town at its doorstep are tight. Town merchants depend on the soldiers who shop at their stores and eat at their restaurants. Locals show their appreciation and support for the troops, hoisting giant yellow ribbons and raising money for charities benefiting Fort Hood soldiers stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"Most of our clientele are soldiers, so this affects everyone in the community," said James Carpenter, 34, a tattoo artist at Zombie Ink and a former soldier who had been stationed at Fort Hood before he left the Army in 2003. "Everyone is asking why and saying, `I can't believe he did that.'"

Witnesses said Hasan stood on a desk and began firing after walking into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where troops who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening. Those who weren't hit by direct fire were struck by rounds ricocheting off the desks and tile floor.
Officials say the gunman was stopped after two civilian police officers arrived on the scene and began a firefight with Hasan, who was hit four times including at least once in the torso.
Most of the shooting survivors remained hospitalized, many in intensive care. Hasan was transferred Friday to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, about 150 miles southwest of Fort Hood. Army officials late Friday gave no indication of his condition except to say he was "not able to converse."
Some who knew Hasan said he may have been struggling with a pending deployment to Afghanistan and faced pressure in his work with distressed soldiers, although authorities still did not have a motive.

Hasan's Palestinian uncle said his nephew loved America and wanted to serve his country.
Rafik Hamad, 64, told the Associated Press in El-Bireh in the West Bank that Hasan had been harassed by other soldiers because of his Muslim faith but that he was not angry.
Fort Hood spokesman Col. John Rossi said that the assailant fired more than 100 rounds and that his weapons were not military arms, but "privately owned weapons ... purchased locally."
Shock over the shootings persisted into Friday night, when hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in the first formal community gathering since the killings. Earlier in the day, a moment of silence was held at U.S. military installations as a show of respect for the victims, and 13 flag-draped coffins departed from Fort Hood for Dover Air Force Base and the military's mortuary based in Delaware.

At the vigil, husbands wrapped their arms around their wives, babies cried and old men in wheelchairs bowed their heads during the service at a post stadium.
The Army's chief chaplain, Douglas Carver, offered prayers and encouragement to those in attendance.
"Remember to keep breathing. ... Keep going," Carver told the crowd of several hundred, many dressed in fatigues and black berets.

The crowd sang "God Bless America" and "Amazing Grace" in the bleachers under the stadium lights. After about 20 minutes, the stadium went dark, the only light from camera flashes and surrounding buildings in the distance as candles were passed around the bleachers.


It was a tough night for Maj. Dan Walker, 34, who returned from Kuwait in June, his third deployment overseas.
"I've been to a lot of these in my career," Walker said as he walked through the dark parking lot after the service. "They definitely don't get any easier, and this one is probably one of the toughest ones just because it came so close to home.

"When you go to war, you expect it and understand it," he added. "But this is different. When you come home, you try to relax and live as normal a life as possible. You don't expect this."
Among the victims were Francheska Velez, 21, of Chicago, who was pregnant and preparing to return home. Family members said Velez had recently returned from deployment in Iraq and had sought a lifelong career in the Army.
Pfc. Michael Pearson, 21, of the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, Ill., quit what he figured was a dead-end furniture company job to join the military about a year ago. Pearson's mother, Sheryll Pearson, said he joined the military because he was eager to serve his country and broaden his horizons.

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis., joined the Army after the 2001 terrorist attacks and had vowed to take on Osama bin Laden, her mother, Jeri Krueger said. Amy Krueger arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday and was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan in December, her mother told the Herald Times Reporter of Manitowoc.
Michael Grant Cahill, a 62-year-old physician assistant, suffered a heart attack two weeks ago and returned to work at the base as a civilian employee after taking just one week off for recovery, said his daughter Keely Vanacker.
Cahill, of Cameron, Texas, helped treat soldiers returning from tours of duty or preparing for deployment. Often, Vanacker said, Cahill would walk young soldiers where they needed to go, just to make sure they got the right treatment. "He loved his patients, and his patients loved him," said Vanacker, 33, the oldest of Cahill's three adult children. "He just felt his job was important."

[DarkSkies]

Finchaser sent this to me. I'm falling behind in my e-mail so it took a while to post it. It has made the rounds before, but it's still a good one. Thanks Fin. :thumbsup:

Freedom isn't free.












The Old Man...



http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f4168%5fALfFtEQAABNaSwW3xAnVwymfbj k&pid=1.3&fid=Inbox&inline=1


As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.

The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about 25 feet away.






I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too, and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.





The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.













I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'









He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.










The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us, he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.








http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f4168%5fALfFtEQAABNaSwW3xAnVwymfbj k&pid=1.4&fid=Inbox&inline=1When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'







He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal . He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood.. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.









http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f4168%5fALfFtEQAABNaSwW3xAnVwymfbj k&pid=1.5&fid=Inbox&inline=1He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed hadhis name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket.. We all shook hands all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me.











One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.








For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name....... 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'


http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f4168%5fALfFtEQAABNaSwW3xAnVwymfbj k&pid=1.6&fid=Inbox&inline=1I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over.





I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.


Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America ... Thanks to those who served.....& those who supported them.





America is not at war.


The U.S. Military is at war.
America is at the Mall.

If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!





http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f4168%5fALfFtEQAABNaSwW3xAnVwymfbj k&pid=1.7&fid=Inbox&inline=1Remember, Freedom isn't "Free" -- thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today!








LET'S DO THIS -- JUST 19 WORDS





GOD OUR FATHER,





WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE


AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES;



AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY AND OUR FRIENDS AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM


IN JESUS ' NAME. AMEN








This prayer is so powerful. Pass this prayer to 12 people including me !

[voyager35]

Let's say thanks!

http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html

If you go to this site above you can choose a card which will be sent to a member of the millitary.

Way Cool!

[strikezone31]

We need to pay honor to the men who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.


Attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941


The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/ph01.jpgPoster commemorating
the attack, 1942Behind them they left chaos, 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes and a crippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged or destroyed battleships. In one stroke the Japanese action silenced the debate that had divided Americans ever since the German defeat of France left England alone in the fight against the Nazi terror.

Approximately three hours later, Japanese planes began a day-long attack on American facilities in the Philippines. (Because the islands are located across the International Dateline, the local Philippine time was just after 5 AM on December 8.) Farther to the west, the Japanese struck at Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand in a coordinated attempt to use surprise in order inflict as much damage as quickly as possible to strategic targets.

Although stunned by the attack at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet's aircraft carriers, submarines and, most importantly, its fuel oil storage facilities emerged unscathed. These assets formed the foundation for the American response that led to victory at the Battle of Midway (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/midway.htm) the following June and ultimately to the total destruction of the Japanese Empire four years later.

Aboard the USS Arizona
The battleships moored along "Battleship Row" are the primary target of the attack's first wave. Ten minutes after the beginning of the attack a bomb crashes through the Arizona's two armored decks igniting its magazine. The explosion rips the ship's sides open like a tin can starting a fire that engulfs the entire ship. Within minutes she sinks to the bottom taking 1,300 lives with her. The sunken ship remains as a memorial to those who sacrificed their lives during the attack. Marine Corporal E.C. Nightingale was aboard the Arizona that fateful Sunday morning:

"At approximately eight o'clock on the morning of December 7, 1941, I was leaving the breakfast table when the ship's siren for air defense sounded. Having no anti-aircraft battle station, I paid little attention to it. Suddenly I heard an explosion. I ran to the port door leading to the quarterdeck and saw a bomb strike a barge of some sort alongside the NEVADA, or in that vicinity. The marine color guard came in at this point saying we were being attacked. I could distinctly hear machine gun fire. I believe at this point our anti-aircraft battery opened up.
"We stood around awaiting orders of some kind. General Quarters sounded and I started for my battle station in secondary aft. As I passed through casement nine I noted the gun was manned and being trained out. The men seemed extremely calm and collected. I reached the boat deck and our anti-aircraft guns were in full action, firing very rapidly. I was about three quarters of the way to the first platform on the mast when it seemed as though a bomb struck our quarterdeck. I could hear shrapnel or fragments whistling past me.

As
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/ph02.jpgA captured Japanese photo shows
Battleship Row under attack.
Hickam Field burns in the distance
soon as I reached the first platform, I saw Second Lieutenant Simonson lying on his back with blood on his shirt front. I bent over him and taking him by the shoulders asked if there was anything I could do. He was dead, or so nearly so that speech was impossible. Seeing there was nothing I could do for the Lieutenant, I continued to my battle station.

"When I arrived in secondary aft I reported to Major Shapley that Mr. Simonson had been hit and there was nothing to be done for him. There was a lot of talking going on and I shouted for silence which came immediately. I had only been there a short time when a terrible explosion caused the ship to shake violently. I looked at the boat deck and everything seemed aflame forward of the mainmast. I reported to the Major that the ship was aflame, which was rather needless, and after looking about, the Major ordered us to leave.

"I was the last man to leave secondary aft because I looked around and there was no one left. I followed the Major down the port side of the tripod mast. The railings, as we ascended, were very hot and as we reached the boat deck I noted that it was torn up and burned. The bodies of the dead were thick, and badly burned men were heading for the quarterdeck, only to fall apparently dead or badly wounded. The Major and I went between No. 3 and No. 4 turret to the starboard side and found Lieutenant Commander Fuqua ordering the men over the side and assisting the wounded. He seemed exceptionally calm and the Major stopped and they talked for a moment. Charred bodies were everywhere.

"I made my way to the quay and started to remove my shoes when I suddenly found myself in the water. I think the concussion of a bomb threw me in. I started swimming for the pipe line which was about one hundred and fifty feet away. I was about half way when my strength gave out entirely. My clothes and shocked http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/ph06a.jpgThe USS Shaw explodescondition sapped my strength, and I was about to go under when Major Shapley started to swim by, and seeing my distress, grasped my shirt and told me to hang to his shoulders while he swam in.
"We were perhaps twenty-five feet from the pipe line when the Major's strength gave out and I saw he was floundering, so I loosened my grip on him and told him to make it alone. He stopped and grabbed me by the shirt and refused to let go. I would have drowned but for the Major. We finally reached the beach where a marine directed us to a bomb shelter, where I was given dry clothes and a place to rest."

References:
Lord, Walter, Day of Infamy (1957), Prange, Gordon, At Dawn We Slept (1981), Wallin, VAdm. Homer N. Pearl Harbor: Why, How, Fleet Salvage and Final Appraisal (1968). How To Cite This Article:
"Attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com) (1997).

[Pebbles]

Heartbreaking

8657

[DarkSkies]

Heartbreaking

8657

Just saw this Pebbles, yes it is. :(

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by Surfstix, thanks! :HappyWave: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:







8807









A *New* Christmas Poem



TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.



I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.



I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.



NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.



WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.



FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.



THE SOLDIER IN IRAQ , LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.



THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.



WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?



I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.



SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.



THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.



I COULDN'T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.



THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.



THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

'SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;



I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'



THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.



I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.



I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.



THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'



ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'



This poem was written by a Marine.



The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending

this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming

soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and

women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we

owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and

dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your

small part to plant this small seed.

[stripermania]

My condolences to his family, may he RIP.

Marine from Bergen County killed in Afghanistan will receive Bronze Star

By Star-Ledger Staff (http://connect.nj.com/user/njoslstaff/index.html)

January 15, 2010, 8:55PM

WESTWOOD -- On Christmas Day, Marine Sgt. Christopher Hrbek called home to Bergen County from Afghanistan with the news he had been nominated for a Bronze Star.

A fellow Marine, a master sergeant, had been gravely injured by a bomb buried in the dirt. Under heavy enemy fire, Hrbek and a Navy corpsman had rushed to the man’s aid, applying tourniquets to the stumps of his severed legs and carrying him to safety.
Family members learned today Hrbek will receive the award posthumously.

Hrbek, 25, a married Westwood native, was killed Thursday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, his family and the Department of Defense said. He had previously served three tours of duty in Iraq.
http://media.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/photo/marine-christopher-hrbekjpg-aeb583cab34964e2_large.jpgU.S. MarinesMarine Christopher Hrbek, of Westwood, Bergen County, was killed while serving in Afghanistan.

“He was born a Marine. He wanted to die a Marine,” said Beau Hodges, 28, Hrbek’s stepbrother. “He was proud to die for his country.”

Hrbek is at least the 14th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. At least 96 others have died in Iraq since 2003.

• New Jersey's fallen servicemembers (http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/mm/index.ssf?NJWarDead)
A full-size flagpole springs from the lawn of the brick, colonial-style home where Hrbek grew up with his mother, Cheryl, and stepfather, JayMee Hodges. An American flag and a Marine Corps flag flew at half-staff today. Relatives gathered throughout the day, by turns crying and laughing as they shared stories.
Once a slight kid who had been afraid of the dark well into his teens, Hrbek grew into a fearless, muscled warrior who planned to make a career of the Corps.

“He loved it over there,” said another stepbrother, Jim Hodges, 31. “He wanted to do this for the rest of his life.”
Hrbek made the point to one of his two sisters, Amy Dellentash, in a recent phone call home, after she had learned of his nomination for the Bronze Star. He had spoken of three-hour firefights and of coming under attack every time his unit went out on patrol. Dellentash, 33, knew American service members were falling.
“I knew he was at war and in a terrible situation, and I just wanted to know if he was really okay,” she said.
She said her brother responded, “Are you kidding me? I love what I do.”

Hrbek’s admiration for the Marine Corps took root as a sophomore at Westwood High School, where he was a member of the wrestling team and something of a class clown, relatives said. He began reading and watching movies about the Corps after scoring well on a physical evaluation used by the service, his family said.

Seven months after graduation, he was off to Parris Island for basic training. His service brought him to Iraq three times, first in 2005. He served again from February to September 2007 and then from August 2008 to March 2009. He left for Afghanistan in November. Hrbek was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Family members said Hrbek might have taken a different route, fighting fires instead of wars. Both his stepbrothers are firefighters in New York City, and his stepfather is a member of the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department. Hrbek, too, began volunteering at age 16.

The lure was strong. Beau Hodges said his stepbrother had a place in the academy last year in the New York Fire Department but chose instead to re-enlist in the Marines.

Hrbek’s career kept him away for long stretches from his wife, Jamie Hrbek, 23, but in an interview this evening at her Emerson home, she said distance and time never seemed to take anything from their relationship.

When they first saw each other three years ago, it was only for a few seconds, she said. She was a waitress in a local restaurant. He was a customer. Hrbek was about to talk to her when he was summoned to a fire scene. It would be a month before he got her number from a friend.

“We could have said we loved each other without really seeing each other,” she said.

They talked for six hours in that first phone conversation. Late in 2007, they married.
“I could say a thousand things about him,” she said. “He was filled with a sense of adventure.”
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Hrbek also is survived by his father, Richard Hrbek of Emerson.
By Tomás Dinges (tdinges@starledger.com) and Mark Mueller (mmueller@starledger.com)/The Star-Ledger

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/marine_from_bergen_county_kill.html

[paco33]

bump for the soldiers. freedom isn't free.:thumbsup:

9378

9379

9380

9381

9382

[stripermania]

Remember what they do for us.

9721

[bababooey]

Another one down, RIP.:(


New Jersey soldier Sgt. Marcos Gorra killed in Afghanistan

BY Oren Yaniv (http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Oren%20Yaniv)
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Originally Published:Thursday, February 25th 2010, 7:02 PM
Updated: Thursday, February 25th 2010, 7:02 PM



He came here as a boy from Communist Cuba (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Cuba) and died serving his adopted country.




Sgt. Marcos Gorra (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Marcos+Gorra), 22, an Army paratrooper from North Bergen (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/North+Bergen), N.J. (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+Jersey), died Sunday of wounds sustained "while supporting combat operations," the military said.
Gorra was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade. He was based at Kandahar Airfield (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Kandahar+Airport), the Army said Thursday.
The young soldier, who immigrated from Cuba at age 7, was to return home next month, officials said.
"Sgt. Gorra's military service is a tribute to his commitment, selflessness, and professionalism," said Lt. Col. Mike Morgan (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Mike+Morgan), the commander of Gorra's unit. "He was a member of the pathfinder team that achieved significant mission success in southern Afghanistan (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Afghanistan),"
"Sgt. Gorra was respected by his fellow paratroopers for his mission focus, attention to detail, and warm personality," Morgan added.
"The troopers of Task Force Saber grieve for his loss and for the loss of his family."
Gorra enlisted in 2006 after graduating from North Bergen High School (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/North+Bergen+High+School).
"I'm the oldest of 3 children," wrote Gorra on his MySpace (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/MySpace+Inc.) page. "My family is by far the most important thing in my life, my reason for living."
Gorra is survived by his parents, Gricel and Marcos Gorra of North Bergen; a sister; and a brother.

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by Finchaser, thanks!

This is interesting...I did not know this....wonder if any of you did..... been to a mch taps was played;


this brings out a new meaning of it.














Here is something Every American should know. Until I

read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out
and it's true:
We in the United States have all heard
the haunting song, 'Taps.' It's the song that
gives us the lump in our throats and usually
tears in our eyes.









But, do you know the story behind the song? If

not, I think you will be interested to find out
about its humble beginnings.










Reportedly,

it all began in 1862 during the Civil War,
when Union Army
Captain Robert Ellicombe was with
his men near Harrison's Landing in
Virginia . The Confederate Army was
on the other side of the narrow strip of land.










During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of

a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.
Not knowing if it was a Union
or Confederate soldier, the Captain
decided to risk his life and bring the stricken
man back for medical attention. Crawling on his
stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached
the stricken soldier and began pulling him
toward his encampment.










When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he

discovered it was actually a Confederate
soldier, but the soldier was dead.










The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his

breath and went numb with shock. In the
dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It
was his own son. The boy had been studying music
in the South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy
enlisted in the Confederate Army.







The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked

permission of his superiors to give his son a
full military burial, despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted.







The Captain had asked if he could have a group of

Army band members play a funeral dirge for his
son at the funeral.







The request was turned down since the soldier was a

Confederate.







But, out of respect for the father, they did say they

could give him only one musician.









The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the

bugler to play a series of musical notes he had
found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the
dead youth's uniform.







This wish was granted.









The haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.






The words are:


Day is done.
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.


Fading light.
Dims the sight..
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh
Falls the night.


Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun.
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky


.

As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh


.








I too have felt the chills while listening to 'Taps' but I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was more than one verse . I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd pass it along.






I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.

Remember
Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their
Country.









Also

Remember Those Who Have Served And Returned; and
for those presently serving in the Armed
Forces.









Please send this on after a short prayer.






Make this a Prayer

wheel for our soldiers.....please
don't break it .








I didn't!

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by JimmyZ, thanks!



Mornings at the Pentagon

By JOSEPH L. GALLOWAY
McClatchy Newspapers

Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors
and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the
terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on
stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in
military hospitals.

This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and
former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently
completed a year long tour of duty in Iraq and is now back
at the Pentagon.

Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known
ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the
Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday
morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media
critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for
America Website.

"It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the
Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated;
the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is
bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is
packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians,
all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls.
There are thousands here.

This hallway, more than any other, is the `Army' hallway.
The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the
corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz.
Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or
a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew.

Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the
center. The air conditioning system was not designed for
this press of bodies in this area.

The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares. "10:36
hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the
outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is
closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is
low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion
behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of
the hallway.

"A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace
of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge
with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the
greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still
suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or
perhaps a private first class.

"Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet
his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three
years ago when I described one of these events, those lining
the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little
wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in
the burden ... yet.

"Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in
the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the
applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all
been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe,
a full colonel.

"Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A,
come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant
assisted as need be by a field grade officer.

"11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My
hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds
in my own head. My hands hurt. Please! Shut up and clap. For
twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down
this hallway - 20, 25, 30.. Fifty-three legs come with them,
and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came
30 solid hearts.


They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and
then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests
of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along.
Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as
best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway,
through this most unique audience. Some are catching
handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July
parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are
smiling shyly.

"There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old
war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and
not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by
this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never
shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents
who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an
appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No
man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the
silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger
wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers
in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in
the past.

These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are
our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone
on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four
years.

"Did you know that?

Don't send it back to me, just send it on its way as you
see fit.

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by JimmyZ, thanks!





I BET YOU DIDN'T SEE
THIS

IN THE NEWSPAPER OR
ON THE 6 O'CLOCK NEWS"



The Sailor Pictured Below Is,


Navy Petty Officer, PO2 (Petty Officer, Second Class)


EOD2 Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Second Class)


"MIKE MONSOOR"


April 5th, 1981 ~ September 19th, 2009


10342


http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f13411%5fAJPFtEQAAXbOS5Ms7A3ZI3%2f nn9c&pid=2.1.2.2&fid=Inbox&inline=1http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f13411%5fAJPFtEQAAXbOS5Ms7A3ZI3%2f nn9c&pid=2.1.2.3&fid=Inbox&inline=1

Mike Monsoor, was awarded "the Congressional Medal of Honor" last week, for giving his life in Iraq, as he jumped on, and covered with his body, a live
hand grenade, that was accidentally dropped by a Navy Seal, saving
the lives of a large group of Navy Seals that was passing by!


During Mike Monsoor's funeral, at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery , in San Diego , California .

The six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the
hearse, and lined up on each side of Mike Monsoor's casket, were his
family members, friends, fellow sailors, and well-wishers. The
column of people continued from the hearse, all the way to the grave
site.

What the group didn't know at the time was,
every Navy Seal (45 to be exact) that Mike Monsoor saved that day was
scattered through-out the column!

As the pallbearers carried the rosewood casket down the column of people to the grave side, the column would collapse, forming a group of people that followed behind.

Every time the rosewood casket passed a Navy Seal,
he would remove his gold trident pin from his uniform, and slap it
down hard, causing the gold trident pin to embed itself into
the top of the wooden casket!

Then the Navy Seal would step back from the column, and
salute!

Now for those, (and me) who don't know what a trident pin is, or what it looks like? Here is the definition and photo!

After one completes the basic Navy Seal program which lasts for three
weeks, and is followed by Seal qualification training, which is 15 more weeks
of training, necessary to continue improving basic skills and to learn new tactics and techniques, required for an assignment to a Navy Seal
platoon.

After successful completion, trainees are given their Naval Enlisted Code, and are awarded the Navy Seal trident pin. With this gold pin they are now officially a Navy Seal! It was said, that you could hear each of the 45 slaps from across the cemetery!


By the time the rosewood casket reached the grave site,
it looked as though it had a gold inlay from the 45 trident
pins that lined the top!




10343

http://us.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f13411%5fAJPFtEQAAXbOS5Ms7A3ZI3%2f nn9c&pid=2.1.2.4&fid=Inbox&inline=1



This
Was A Fitting End To An Eternal Send-Off For A Warrior
Hero!


This Should Be Front-Page News!

Instead Of The Garbage We Listen To And See Every Day.
~


Here's A Good Idea!

Since The Main Stream Media Won't Make This News.


Then We Choose To Make It News By Forwarding It.







I Am Proud Of All The Branches Of Our Military.

If You Are Proud Too, Please Pass This E-Mail On.

[DarkSkies]

I thought this would fit best here. Sent in by Finchaser, thanks!


Veteran of 3 wars, Congressional Medal of Honor holder, sued to take flag down
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/jason2232/120309_barfoot2_slideshow_604x500.jpg


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579147,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579147,00.html)

A veteran of three wars who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor is now facing an unlikely enemy — his neighbors.

Col. Van T. Barfoot, 90, has raised the Stars and Stripes every day at sunrise and lowered them every day at sunset since he served in the U.S. Army. But on Tuesday he received a letter from the law firm that represents his homeowners' association, ordering him to remove the flagpole from his Richmond, Va. yard by 5 p.m. on Friday or face "legal action."

The homoeowners' association at Sussex Square community told Barfoot that the freestanding, 21-foot flagpole that he put up in September violates the neighborhood's aesthetic guidelines.

Barfoot had sought permission to install the pole shortly after he moved into the community — a complex of townhouses where the grounds are community property — last June. The board denied his request in July.

But Barfoot and his family say there is no provision in Sussex Square's rules that forbids erecting flagpoles. And for Barfoot, that's a cause worth fighting for.

"There's never been a day in my life or a place I've lived in my life that you couldn't fly the American flag," Barfoot said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In a statement released last night, the association sought to defend its position against a growing chorus of outrage.

"This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole," reads the statement from the association, which insists that Barfoot directly violated its board's July ruling.

"Col. Barfoot is free to display the American flag in conformity with the neighborhood rules and restrictions. We are hopeful that Col. Barfoot will comply."

The statement reminded the public that many American flags hang from homes in the Sussex Square community, and that the board members object only to Barfoot's freestanding flagpole.

But Barfoot says he has always flown the flag from a height: "Where I've been, fighting wars ... military installations, parades, everything else, the flag is vertical. And I've done it that way since I was in the Army," Barfoot told the paper.

Barfoot is one of the country's last living World War II veterans who received the Medal of Honor. He also served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War and earned a Purple Heart. In WWII, Barfoot showed his mettle in Carano, Italy, where he single-handedly destroyed a set of German machine gun nests, killed eight enemy soldiers, took 17 prisoners and stared down a tank before destroying it and killing its crew — all in a single day. Exhausted by his herculean efforts, he still managed to move two of his wounded men 1,700 yards to safety.

"Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers," reads the official citation for his Medal of Honor.

Barfoot's resolve is now once again being tested.

"I've flown the flag at my home as long as I can remember," said Barfoot, who lived in rural Amelia County before moving to suburban Richmond. "This is the first time in the last 36 years that I've been unable to put my flag up on the same pole, the same staff and take it down when it's time to come down.

"I don't have any qualms with [the board's] authority, but the thing about it is that I cannot get enough conversation out of them where we can try to work out a solution," Barfoot said.

Neighbors largely have expressed their support, but he realizes that ultimately it's up to the nine-member association board whether to grant an exception to the rules.

"Emotional torture is what they've done to my father," said his daughter, Margaret Nicholls. "He has lost sleep, he worries about it constantly. He just doesn't understand. He thinks that if it's on his property they can't tell him what to do."

[DarkSkies]

Another version, sorry the pics won't load.



Great soldier's story







Published: Sunday, December 13, 2009

Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward Philadelphia. After a few
miles a sign says you're in Edinburg. It s a good thing the sign's there, because
there's no other way to tell.

On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg -- probably didn't
make much news back then.

Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot,
who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun
positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced
through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned
with 17 prisoners of war.


If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took on and destroyed three
German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.


That probably didn't make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it
did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and
Vietnam, a Congressional Medal of Honor.


What did make news last week was a neighborhood association's quibble with
how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban
Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted
bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were
unsuitable.


He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court
action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the
neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this
old hero who dwells among them.


"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without
interference," Barfoot told The Associated Press.

As well he should.

And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to
read his Medal of Honor citation.
It indicates he's not real good at backing down.

Van T. Barfoot's Medal of Honor citation:

This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor
Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond
the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily
engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding
ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled
to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand
grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German
defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun
killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew
then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving
the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions
in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to
17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly
captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at
his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed
position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75
yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it,
while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled
tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued
onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German
fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his
platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts,
assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety.
Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and
aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual
inspiration to his fellow soldiers."


If you got this email and didn't pass it on - guess what - you deserve to get your butt kicked! I sent this to you, because I didn't want to get MY butt kicked.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE! IN GOD WE TRUST




Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may not be overwhelmed by material things.
I pray that I may realize the higher value of spiritual things.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.

[DarkSkies]

May they RIP, deepest condolences to their families, for they made the ultimate sacrifice for this country's freedom.


Sgt Sean Durkin, 24.
Fallen Soldier Laid To Rest

Joscelyn Moes (http://www.wfmz.com/newsteam/21866679/detail.html) | Reporter
Posted: 4:11 pm EDT April 29, 2010Updated: 7:39 pm EDT April 29, 2010
Text Size
AAA


http://www.wfmz.com/2010/0429/23311008_300X225.jpg (javascript:LaunchPlayer('1385326');)
Watch Video (javascript:LaunchPlayer('1385326');)





EASTON, Pa. -- It was a hero's farewell for a young man who many said was destined to become a soldier.
Army Sergeant Sean Durkin got his fatal wounds on the battlefield, far away in Afghanistan...
Today, he was laid to rest in his native Lehigh Valley and hundreds turned out to see him home.
Family, friends, and even complete strangers came together to honor Sergeant Durkin.
RAW VIDEO: Funeral Services For Sgt. Sean Durkin (javascript:void(0)) SLIDESHOW: Hero Farewell For Fallen Soldier (javascript:popUp('/slideshow/news/23312577/detail.html','width=1024,height=820,top=0,left=0,s crollbars');)
He is one of those American heroes that gave everything so that those he loved and his fellow Americans could continue to live free, said Brigadier General Tom Cole.
Hundreds of people filled the Phillipsburg Alliance Church to pay their respects to the fallen hero.
Sergeant Durkin was injured in Afghanistan on March 27 when an IED exploded near his vehicle.
The Easton native died earlier this month at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
When we went to go see him in D.C., I was so proud of him, said Jaiden Phelps. I never realized what a hero and what a strong man he was.
Family and friends said Durkin had a passion for cars and military history.
Fellow soldiers reflected on his sense of humor and leadership skills.
Sergeant Durkin always placed his comrades' safety above his own, said Staff Sergeant Nicholas Turner. Sergeant Durkin is and always will be greatly missed.
Durkin grew up in the Lehigh Valley and later moved to Colorado.
He joined the Army in 2006 and previously served a tour of duty in Iraq.
We're here for the families of those who've given so much for us, for our freedoms, said Ed Morgan.
People lined the streets, waving flags, as the procession passed by.
Durkin was laid to rest at Hays Cemetery in Easton.
The man who friends and family said was destined to become a soldier died at the age of 24.

http://www.wfmz.com/news/23310022/detail.html

[DarkSkies]

Slain soldier from Monmouth County, NJ. He was 21, barely had a chance to enjoy his life and he's gone...http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.gif

Deepest condolences to the family.


Posted: Monday, 03 May 2010 10:54PM

Fallen NJ Soldier Laid to Rest



A 21-year-old Army Ranger from Monmouth County was laid to rest Monday, 10 days after being killed in combat in Afghanistan.

Army Sgt. Ronald Alan Kubik of Brielle was buried at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Wrightstown, Burlington County, following funeral services at a church in Holmdel.

The Army says he was killed April 23 in Logar province during combat operations.

Kubik was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Fort Benning, Ga.

An avid fisherman, Kubik graduated from Manasquan High School in 2006 and was a member of the school's wrestling team.

Kubik enlisted in the Army in March 2007 after attending Brookdale Community College for several months. He served as an assistant machine gunner and a rifle team leader with Company D.

He was in the midst of his third deployment overseas, having served previous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kubik was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service medal.

http://www.nj1015.com/pages/6957164.php

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by an AA friend of mine, TaZ. Thanks, bro! :thumbsup: :HappyWave:
Congrats on the new life and the AA anniversaries. :clapping:



ED W. FREEMAN

Captain, U.S. Army Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/UGC/Nightly%20Mailbox/NightlyMailbox/pppp_cccc/070711_46361_freeman99_ug.standard.jpgBy the time the Korean War broke out, Ed Freeman was a master sergeant in the Army Engineers, but he fought in Korea as an infantryman.
He took part in the bloody battle of Pork Chop Hill and was given a battlefield commission, which had the added advantage of making him eligible to fly, a dream of his since childhood. But flight school turned him down because of his height: At six foot four, he was “too tall” (a nickname that followed him throughout his military career). In 1955, however, the height limit was raised, and Freeman was able to enroll.
He began flying fixed-wing aircraft, then switched to helicopters. By 1965, when he was sent to Vietnam, he had thousands of hours’ flying time in choppers. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), second in command of a sixteen-helicopter unit responsible for carrying infantrymen into battle. On November 14, 1965, Freeman’s helicopters carried a battalion into the Ia Drang Valley for what became the first major confrontation between large forces of the American and North Vietnamese armies.
Back at base, Freeman and the other pilots received word that the GIs they had dropped off were taking heavy casualties and running low on supplies. In fact, the fighting was so fierce that medevac helicopters refused to pick up the wounded. When the commander of the helicopter unit asked for volunteers to fly into the battle zone, Freeman alone stepped forward. He was joined by his commander, and the two of them began several hours of flights into the contested area. Because their small emergency-landing zone was just one hundred yards away from the heaviest fighting, their unarmed and lightly armored helicopters took several hits. In all, Freeman carried out fourteen separate rescue missions, bringing in water and ammunition to the besieged soldiers and taking back dozens of wounded, some of whom wouldn’t have survived if they hadn’t been evacuated.
Freeman left Vietnam in 1966 and retired from the Army the following year. He flew helicopters another twenty years for the Department of the Interior, herding wild horses, fighting fires, and performing animal censuses. Then he retired altogether.
In the aftermath of the Ia Drang battle, his commanding officer, wanting to recognize Freeman’s valor, proposed him for the Medal of Honor. But the two-year statute of limitations on these kinds of recommendations had passed, and no action was taken. Congress did away with that statute in 1995, and Freeman was finally awarded the medal by President George W. Bush on July 16, 2001.
Freeman was back at the White House a few months later for the premiere of We Were Soldiers, a 2002 feature film that depicted his role in the Ia Drang battle. As he was filing out of the small White House theater, the president approached him, saluted, and shook his hand. “Good job, Too Tall,” he said.

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/11/265756.aspx

[DarkSkies]

When I think of all the selfishness and "me-first" in this world we live in....

When I go on the internet fishing sites and see people whining about the $1000 reel they just bought that doesn't work to their perfect satisfaction...

When I see them whining that the $400 rod they just bought broke when they were high sticking a fish, and wondering aloud how they can make the company pay for their error...

When I see the disregard for the environment out there, the littering, rudeness, unwillingness to extend a simple courtesy to their fellow man...

And the unwillingness of neighbors living on the same block to check in on their older neighbors, to see how they are doing...
"you know, with soccer and playdates, etc, we are just too busy to check on those old folks, besides, it's not our job..."

When I run across those who would defend terrorists and their treatment on American soil, the bleeding heart liberals who are so concerned with political correctness but less concerned with their fellow humans..

I have to take a step back and take a breath, as I think of the kids below who were the ultimate neighbors to us and all who lived in their neighborhood. They put their lives on the line to help their neighbors and fellow citizens. They paid the ultimate price. :(

And although they were all adult men and women, they're kids to me, 22, 24, 18, 19... all taken in the prime of their lives, because they loved this country so much they were willing to die for it.

Thank you to these brave soldiers and their families, and may the terrorists, real or SUSPECTED, be served the same circumstances and torture that our US prisoners of war are served in their countries.

My deepest condolences...



Week ending May 1, 2010 (http://www.usfallen.org/2010/05/02/week-ending-may-1-2010/)

Posted on 02 May 2010 by Jerry Castillo
http://www.usfallen.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Opening-300x200.jpgWeek ending May 1, 2010 the US Department of Defense released the names of 9 military personnel who died, while serving in the United States armed forces. The DoD also announced the return of MIA from WWII.
Welcome viewers. These weekly episodes pay tribute to brave men and women who answered the call of our country and died while supporting our nation’s wars. We focus on the warrior as a human whose lives have impacted families, friends, and our neighbors around the world. Your respectful comments are welcomed and serve as memorial tributes to our fallen soldiers. Political opinions and debates are best suited elsewhere.
Please visit www.USFallen.org (http://www.USFallen.org) for family tributes, videos of military funerals and homecomings. We have centralized other key resources for survivors and returning veterans.
Fallen Description:

Sgt. Keith A. Coe, 30, of Auburndale, Fla., 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma, 24, of Wenonah, N.J., 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Sgt. Nathan P. Kennedy, 24, of Claysville, Pa., 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Sgt. Ronald A. Kubik, 21, of Brielle, N.J., 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

Command Sgt. Maj. John K. Laborde, 53, of Waterloo, Iowa, 649th Regional Support Group, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers Jr., 22, of Birmingham, Ala., 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Sgt. Jason A. Santora, 25, of Farmingville, N.Y., 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

Sgt. Grant A. Wichmann, 27, of Golden, Colo., 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo

Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., 702nd Combat Support Battalion, 4th Stryker Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

[DarkSkies]

Anyone who recognizes themselves in my above post, it's not too late to change.... :learn: :thumbsup:

[storminsteve]

When I think of all the selfishness and "me-first" in this world we live in....

When I go on the internet fishing sites and see people whining about the $1000 reel they just bought that doesn't work to their perfect satisfaction...

When I see them whining that the $400 rod they just bought broke when they were high sticking a fish, and wondering aloud how they can make the company pay for their error...

When I see the disregard for the environment out there, the littering, rudeness, unwillingness to extend a simple courtesy to their fellow man...

And the unwillingness of neighbors living on the same block to check in on their older neighbors, to see how they are doing...
"you know, with soccer and playdates, etc, we are just too busy to check on those old folks, besides, it's not our job..."



Thank you for those words Dark. Sometimes we need to put things in perspective. Thoughts and prayers to the families.

[clamchucker]

Prayers to all the families of those brave soldiers.

[Pebbles]

Honor and Respect

FROM AN AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

Foot note:
As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen..'

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

[dogfish]

Honor and Respect

FROM AN AIRLINE CAPTAIN:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

Foot note:
As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen..'

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

GOD BLESS YOU!!!


:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: Brought a tear to my eye. It's easy to forget the sacrifices the soldiers make for this country. Thank all for their service.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[clamchucker]

This young man was recently killed, he was from Bordentown, NJ. Thoughts and prayers to the family.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/burlington_county_soldier_kill.html
Burlington County Army soldier is killed in Afghanistan

Published: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 8:04 PM Updated: Friday, January 14, 2011, 5:30 AM

By Bob Considine/The Star-Ledger (http://connect.nj.com/user/BobConsidine/index.html)












http://media.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/photo/9193725-large.jpg
Courtesy of Brian Maugeri

Benjamin Moore, a U.S. Army private from Bordentown, was killed fighting for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on Jan. 12 after his truck was impacted by an improvised explosive device. He was 23.
BORDENTOWN (http://topics.nj.com/tag/bordentown-city/index.html) — Even when he was a little boy, Benjamin Moore would hop on his bike and follow emergency vehicles as they traveled to their places of need, hoping he could lend a hand.
"He always liked helping people," said Patrick Moore, his father. "It was just instilled in him. That was his nature."
But Moore’s life of service has been cut short. The U.S. Army private from Bordentown was killed fighting for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on Wednesday after his truck hit an improvised explosive device. He was 23.
While the U.S. Department of Defense had yet to release official confirmation of the death as of tonight, the family said it had been notified. Friends and family said Moore was one of several soldiers killed in the incident.

Moore, who graduated Bordentown Regional High School in 2006 and was stationed out of Fort Drum in upstate New York, was nearing completion of his first year of service in Afghanistan, where he had dodged several close calls. He was able to spend the Christmas holiday back home, his father said.
"He loved what he was doing," Patrick Moore said. "He was anxious to get back."
Vince "Bud" Torpey Jr., described by Patrick Moore as Benjamin’s "mentor," said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks convinced the then 14-year-old to think about military service.

At age 16, the devout New York Giants fan started working toward becoming a volunteer firefighter with the Hope Hose Humane Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 in Bordentown, where Torpey was president, and a certified Emergency Medical Technician.
"On that day (Sept. 11, 2001), he decided he needed to do something," Torpey said. "He needed to get involved. He spent most of his time helping people and always giving of himself."

Brian Maugeri Jr., a close friend from Bordentown City who posted a tribute video of his lost friend on Facebook, said he recognized Moore was a special breed when they attended fire safety classes together.
"The kid always had a fiery passion for what he got involved in," Maugeri said. "He wanted to go through fire school even though he was two years away to legally fight fire. Everyday he got on that truck he gave it all he had. But I think he needed another outlet. He was feeling a roadblock and that’s when the military came in."
http://media.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/photo/9193739-large.jpgCourtesy of Brian Maugeri

Benjamin Moore, a U.S. Army private from Bordentown, was killed fighting for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on Jan. 12 after his truck was impacted by an improvised explosive device. He was 23.
Patrick Moore said his son was deployed to Afghanistan in April and within a month he required stitches from shrapnel during a mortar round. He also survived a truck blast from another IED detonation.
"I was afraid when he came home for the holiday there might be a little distance because of what he had experienced," Maugeri said. "But he was not that way at all. He was the same old Ben. He could talk to anyone about anything. He knew he was over there for a purpose."

Torpey said he spoke with Moore two days before his death and guessed the mission that killed him may have been his first since he returned to the eastern side of Afghanistan.
"The snowstorm after Christmas had kept him home for a few days longer and on his way back, he also got stuck in Kuwait," Torpey said. "Looking at it now, it’s almost like something was trying to keep him here."

Moore was the 28th service member with ties to New Jersey to die in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001. Nearly 100 others from New Jersey have died in Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003.
Moore is survived by his father, his mother, Amy, and a brother, Patrick, all from Trenton. Funeral arrangements were still pending, according to Moore’s father.
"He was a wonderful person, but not just because he was ours," Patrick Moore said. "What he did and what the young men and women are doing over there is to protect what we can all do over here. And that’s all he ever wanted."

[stripermania]

Two more.

FRANKFURT, Germany — Two U.S. airmen were killed and two others were wounded at Frankfurt airport Wednesday when a man opened fire on them at close range with a handgun, the first such attack on American forces in Germany in a quarter century.

President A.inline_topic:hover { BACKGROUND-COLOR: #eaeaea}Barack Obama (http://www.naplesnews.com/news/topic/barack-obama/) called the shooting an "outrageous act."
The alleged assailant, identified as a 21-year-old Kosovo man, was taken immediately into custody and was being questioned by authorities, said Frankfurt police spokesman Manfred Fuellhardt.

Family members in Kosovo described the suspect as a devout Muslim, who was born and raised in Germany and worked at the airport.
The attacker got into an argument with airmen outside their military bus before opening fire, killing the bus driver and one other serviceman, and wounding two others, one of whom was in life-threatening condition, Fuellhardt said. He said the attacker also briefly entered the bus.
The suspect then fled into the airport terminal, where he was quickly grabbed by two federal police officers and a U.S. airman who had pursued him into the building, authorities said. He was disarmed without incident.

The victims, part of a group of about a dozen members of an Air Force military police and base security unit, had just arrived from England, the Air Force said.
They had landed at Frankfurt airport, one of Europe's busiest, and were waiting outside Terminal 2 to be driven to nearby Ramstein Air Base, which is often used as a logistical hub for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The two wounded airmen were taken to a hospital.
"I'm saddened and I'm outraged by this attack," Obama said at the White House. "I want everybody to understand that we will spare no effort in learning how this outrageous act took place."

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed sympathy for the victims and their families and pledged that Germany would do everything in its power to investigate the crime. "It is a terrible event," she said.
A tall blue barrier was erected around the bus as forensic experts examined it, and removed two bodies from the vehicle. As the bus was later towed away, a bullet hole was visible through the driver's side window.
The dead and wounded U.S. airmen were not identified pending notification of their families. A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Todd Vician, said the airmen were on their way to an overseas deployment to Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere.
Boris Rhein, the top security official in the German state of Hesse, told German media there were no indications of a terrorist attack.
Still, a member of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Patrick Meehan, said in Washington that it looked like a terrorist attack. The chairman of the subcommittee that focuses on terrorism and intelligence added he did not have all the facts.
Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi identified the suspect as Arif Uka, a Kosovo citizen from the northern town of Mitrovica.

In Mitrovica, family members identified him as Arid Uka, saying that he was born and educated in Germany where his family moved some 40 years ago. However, German police said he was born in Kosovo.
An uncle, Rexhep Uka, said the suspect's grandfather was a religious leader at a mosque in a village near Mitrovica.
A cousin, Behxhet Uka, said he spoke to the suspect's father, Murat Uka, several times by telephone from Frankfurt after the family was contacted by Kosovo police. The father said all he knew was that his son did not come home from his job at the airport on Wednesday.

Behxet Uka said he would be shocked if Arid Uka was behind the shooting, saying that like the vast majority of Kosovo Albanians, the family is pro-American.
The northern town of Mitrovica is best known for the ethnic division between majority ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs. The former mining town has also been the focus of reports that it breeds Islamic extremists.
Western intelligence reports have said the region could be a recruitment ground for Muslims with Western features who could easily blend into European or U.S. cities and carry out terrorist attacks.

The Kosovo government said in a statement that it was "deeply moved" by what it branded as "a monstrous act" committed by a citizen of Kosovo origin.
"This macabre case is an individual act against the civilized values and the traditions of the Kosovo people who will always be thankful to the United States, the American people and the U.S. government for its strong backing of Kosovo," the statement said.
Kosovo remained part of Serbia amid the collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, but a struggle for independence by ethnic Albanians there eventually led to the Kosovo war in 1998. The bloodshed was halted in 1999 when NATO stepped in and bombed Serbia, followed by the deployment of peacekeepers. The NATO-led Kosovo Force still has 8,700 troops there provided by 32 nations, including the U.S. and Germany.

The last time American forces in Germany came under deadly attack was in the 1986 bombing of a disco frequented by U.S. servicemen. Two soldiers and one civilian were killed and 230 others were injured. A Berlin court later ruled the bombing was organized by Moammar Gadhafi's Libya.

A leftist terror group, the Red Army Faction, was also responsible for a string of attacks on Americans in the 1970s and 1980s before the group was disbanded in 1998.
More recently, German police thwarted a plot in 2007 to attack U.S. facilities by members of the extremist Islamic Jihad Union. Four men had planned to attack American soldiers and citizens at the Ramstein Air Base and other locations but were caught before they could carry out the plot.

The U.S. has drastically reduced its forces in Germany over the last decade, but still has some 50,000 troops stationed here.
The airmen shot in Frankfurt were stationed at the Lakenheath airfield in England, home to the 48th Fighter Wing, the only F-15 fighter wing in Europe.

[dogfish]

Two more.

FRANKFURT, Germany — Two U.S. airmen were killed and two others were wounded at Frankfurt airport Wednesday when a man opened fire on them at close range with a handgun, the first such attack on American forces in Germany in a quarter century.
Family members in Kosovo described the suspect as a devout Muslim, who was born and raised in Germany and worked at the airport.


Another reason not to trust Muslims, at least the religious fanatical ones. RIP soldiers.

[DarkSkies]

Sent by a friend, thanks. Really gives you something to think about.





Lindsay Lohan, 24, and Paris Hilton got their names and
> faces all over the news because they went to jail for a few
> short weeks or days for acting out, negative behavior,
> resisting arrest, cocaine possession, being drunk and
> disorderly, not to mention their insolent attitude.
>
> What do you know about these men?
>
> Justin Allen, age 23.
>
> Brett Linley, age 29.
>
> Matthew Weikert, 29.
>
> Justus Bartett, 27.
>
> Dave Santos , 21.
>
> Chase Stanley, 21.
>
> Jesse Reed, 26.
>
> Matthew Johnson, 21.
>
> Zachary Fisher, 24.
>
> Brandon King, 23.
>
> Christopher Goeke, 23.
>
> Sheldon Tate, 27.
>
> Do you recognize any of their names? No? None of them
> starred in a movie or made a record album, hit a homerun or
> scored a 2 point conversion or did a celebration in the end
> zone after scoring a touchdown.
> None of them brags about "showcasing their talents for
> their fans" while being paid millions and millions of
> dollars. Did that help? No?
> Well then I should tell you that they are all Marines who
> gave their lives for YOU this week. They died for honor and
> country. They are all heroes of the highest magnitude.
> How much did you read about them ?
>
> Honor THEM by forwarding this. I just did!
>
> We are asking everyone to say a prayer for "Darkhorse" 3rd
> Battalion 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting
> it out in Afghanistan & they have lost 9 marines in 4
> days.
> IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE the message spread if more could
> pass it on..
>
> God Bless America and God Bless the United States Marine
> Corps...
>
> Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever.
>








Thoughts and prayers to the families of all the fallen soldiers. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

[BassBuddah]

Yes and thanks to all for making the ultimate sacrifice for their country, even though they didn't plan it that way.

[voyager35]

Someone sent me this, I found it pretty moving.


The first picture and the last picture are taken at
The beach in Santa Barbara right next to the pier.
There is a veterans group that started putting a cross
And candle for every death in Iraq and Afghanistan .


The amazing thing is that they only do it on the weekends.
They put up this graveyard and take it down every
Weekend. Guys sleep in the sand next to it and keep
Watch over it at night so nobody messes with it.
Every cross has the name, rank and D.O.B. And D.O.D.
On it.

Very moving, very powerful??? So many young volunteers.
So many 30 to 40 year olds as well.
Amazing !

Did you know that the ACLU has filed a suit to have
All military cross-shaped headstones removed?
And another suit to end prayer from the military completely.
They're making great progress.
The Navy Chaplains can no longer mention Jesus' name in
Prayer thanks to the ACLU and our new administration.

I'm not breaking this one.

If I get it a 1000 times,
I'll forward it a 1000 times!

Please, let us pray...

Please send this on after a short prayer. Prayer for our
Soldiers Don't break it!

Prayer:
'Heavenly Father, hold our troops in Your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us Bless them and their
Families for the selfless acts they perform for us in this
Our time of need. These things I humbly ask in the name
Of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior,
Amen.'

GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!

_____
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[Pebbles]

Even back then the tributes were amazing. This photo was taken in 1918.

FACTS?
Base to Shoulder: 150 feet
Right Arm: 340 feet
Widest part of arm holding torch: 12 1/2 feet
Right thumb: 35 feet
Thickest part of body: 29 feet
Left hand length: 30 feet
Face: 60 feet
Nose: 21 feet
Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet
Torch and flame combined: 980 feet
Number of men in flame of torch: 12,000
Number of men in torch: 2,800
Number of men in right arm: 1,200?
Number of men in body, head and balance of figure only: 2,000
TOTAL MEN: 18,000



13887

[porgy75]

Man's best friend mourns his death.
RIP navy SEAL Tomlinson.


The photo showing the bond between felled Navy SEAL Jon Tomlinson (http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Jon+Tomlinson&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz2-ytff-) and his dog Hawkeye has captured the attention of the Web.

The soldier was one of 38 killed in Afghanistan on Aug. 6 when a rocket-propelled grenade took out (http://abcnews.go.com/International/helicopter-shot-25-navy-seals-dead-crash-afghanistan/story?id=14245387) a U.S. Chinook helicopter. He was mourned at a service in Rockford, Iowa, attended by 1,500 family members and friends, and Tomlinson's loyal canine companion.
The Labrador retriever was such an important part of Tomlinson's life that the San Diego resident called his dog (http://abcnews.go.com/International/helicopter-shot-25-navy-seals-dead-crash-afghanistan/story?id=14245387) "son."
When Tomlinson's friend Scott Nichols walked to the front of the room to give his eulogy, Hawkeye followed. As Nichols spoke, Hawkeye dropped to the ground at the foot of the casket and, according to observers, heaved a big sigh. The loyal pooch would not leave his owner's casket during the funeral.
The video clip of the mourning dog seen here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZPx2Wnc0lI&#38;feature=youtu.be) has already received more than 113,000 views.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4ZPx2Wnc0lI
The heart-breaking photo above was taken by Tomlinson's cousin and posted on Facebook, where it quickly went viral. She wrote on her Facebook page, "To say that he was an amazing man doesn't do him justice. The loss of Jon to his family, military family, and friends is immeasurable."

[DarkSkies]

This soldier wasn't killed in action, he made it home. But he did get awarded a Purple Heart for saving the life of another soldier, and I wanted to put something up about him here.

His name was John Flue, and he died this week. He was no relation to me, but we kinda adopted his family, and got close to them over the years.

He got the Purple Heart at Heartbreak Ridge in Korea, when he pulled another soldier down into a foxhole to save him as they were being rained on by mortar fire. He saved that soldier's life by his quick thinking, and got his arm ripped up by the explosion as a result.

So they awarded him a Purple Heart, which sat home buried in his attic. He never bragged about it, and talked about it only if asked a specific question when people said they heard he got one. He was a very humble guy who thought nothing special of his service to our country. It's what guys did at the time, and in his mind he was no different that anyone else, just a job to do to keep us safe. :clapping:

A little about Heartbreak Ridge:

The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was a month-long battle in the Korean War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War) fought between September 13 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_13) and October 15 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_15), 1951 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951). The Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was one of several major engagements in an area known as "The Punchbowl", which served as an important Communist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) staging area. The United Nations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations) first initiated limited operations to seize the high ground surrounding the Punchbowl in late July.
The battle site is located in the hills of North Korea a few miles north of the 38th parallel north (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/38th_parallel_north) (the prewar boundary between North (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea) and South Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea)), near Chorwon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorwon).

Thanks for your service to our country, John. I'm glad I got to know you and your family. RIP, man. :thumbsup:





I was going through this thread and trying to get a renewed perspective for this day.
I lost track that this was the anniversary of John Flue's death back in April.
Thought I would bump the post up for some others to look at and see some of the sacrifices these guys made for our country.

RIP, John, and may God eternally watch over you.

[DarkSkies]

Heartbreaking

8657

Bump for another good post, thanks Pebbles.

[DarkSkies]

I belatedly opened this. It came from Mike Nashif, who runs Operation "Take a Soldier Fishing".
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1628

The Memorial day message coming from a veteran such as Mike, who was in the Operation Iraqui Freedom (OIF) conflict, was moving. So I thought I would post it here. Thanks for sending it, Mike! :HappyWave:

Thanks to all the soldiers past and present, and Mike and his fellow soldiers. and their families for the sacrifices you have made for this country. :thumbsup::thumbsup:



***********************


Here are some pictures that were given to me when I was in Iraq during OIF II back in 2004. They were inspirational then and I think they are inspirational now. They have stood the test of time a lot like the will of the American People despite war and things that should be considered acts of war.

Let us remember what today is about and remember those that have given their lives and paid the Ultimate Sacrifice for our country. I am not going to make this a long drawn out email because the only thing I would like for you to do is pick at least one person that you know that has given their life for our Country and say their name out loud in Remembrance.

In loving memory of SPC Charles Odums II – Combat Medic who died while on night patrol in SE Baghdad in 2004 by a roadside bomb. Father, Husband, soldier and friend.

In loving memory of SPC Raymond White – Cav Scout who died when his convoy was ambushed. He died squeezing the trigger in SE Baghdad in 2004 – Friend and soldier.

Please also take the time to remember all the people that lost their lives when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers. Feel the heat from the flames and smell the smoke from the fuel. Listen to the screams and taste the dust and ash. Don’t lose focus as to why we are at war with terrorists because they will always be there hiding and waiting cowardly in the shadows. Pretending to be something they are not and wishing they were something that they very well could possibly be…. FREE.

If you feel this worthy then pass it along otherwise just say the names you know out loud.

May you Rest In Peace as you are not Forgotten.

Freedom Isn’t Free

Thank you


6788

6789

6790



Mike Nashif runs the original "Take a Soldier Fishing" Project, along with a few others, out of Fort Hood, Tx.
Thought I would bump his post as well.
His words about our soldiers who have given their lives to this country on Memorial Day Weekend, are more compelling than anything I could ever write.

Thanks Mike, and thanks for all you and your Group do.
And above all, thanks to all the Fallen Soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for our country, for that is what Memorial Day is truly about.......:clapping: :clapping: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[storminsteve]

:thumbsup:Powerful stuff. Thanks to all the soldiers. That is the true meaning of Memorial Day. Amen.

[albiealert]

How true. Thank you for posting that.

[captnemo]

The longest wait - WWII Widow's Journey



http://www.youtube.com/embed/8TT1XFS1LA0

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by OGB, thanks!









The Wall





















A little history most people will never know.
Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall

* There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.

* The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.





The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.




There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.



39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.



8,283 were just 19 years old.

The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.
12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.



5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.



One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.



997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam ..



1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam ..



31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.



Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.



54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school.



8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.



244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.



Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.



West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.



The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football an d basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.



The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Th anksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.



The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.



The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.



For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.



Please pass this on to those who served during this time, and those who DO Care.

[captnemo]

That was moving DS. Thanks for posting. One that I got in my e-mail.

Chris Kyle #1 sniper, RIP


Patriotism, Texas and Chris Kyle

I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people. Chris was Derek's teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it. 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field. They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about other than the fact that in doing so he saved a lot of American lives. Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book The American Sniper. 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their son in Iraq . That was the guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker. He along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served 6 months in Iraq and claiming to have PTSD.

Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings. Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family from any airport they flew into free of charge. The employees donated buddy passes and one lady worked for 4 days without much of a break to see that it happened. Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to the hotel. The Marriott reduced their rates to $45 a night and cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family. The Midlothian , TX. police department paid the $45 a night for each room. I would guess there were about 200 people staying at the hotel. 100 of them SEALs. Two large buses were chartered to transport people to the different events and they also had a few rent cars. The police and secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our hotel.

At the house the Texas DPS parked a large motor home in front to block the view from reporters. It remained there the entire 5 days for the SEALs to congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and both sets of parents were staying in the home. Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on a hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a pall bearer, to escort Chris' body when it was transferred from Midlothian Funeral Home to Arlington Funeral Home and to be with Taya. Tough job. Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The home was full with people from the church and other family members that would come each day to help. I spent one morning in a bedroom with Chris' mom and the next morning with Chad Littlefield's parents (the other man murdered with Chris). Tough job.

Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of steaks, chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front yard and fed people all day long. The 200 SEALs and their family. The next day a BBQ restaurant set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The church kept those inside the house well fed.

Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock star. He donated use of Cowboy Stadium for the services as it was determined that so many wanted to attend. The charter buses transported us to the stadium on Monday at 10:30. Every car, bus, motorcycle was searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if kooks were making threats trying to make a name for themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a security risk...I don't know. We willing obliged. No purses into stadium! We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large buffet was available. That was about 300 people. We were growing. A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret service and police and Sarah Palin and her husband. The service started at 1:00 and when we were escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful and emotional service. Bagpipe and drum corps was wonderful and the A&M men’s choir stood through the entire service and sang right at the end. We were all in tears.

The next day was the 200 miles procession from Midlothian, TX. to Austin for burial. It was a cold, drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders 5 chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral procession ever in the state of Texas . People were everywhere. The entire route was shut down ahead of us the and people were lined up on the side of the road the entire way. Firemen down on one knee, police officers holding their hats over their hearts, children waving flags, veterans saluting as we went by.. Every bridge had fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall ladders....people all along the entire 200 miles standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming. Taya rode in the hearse with Chris' body so Derek rode the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with him.

The services were at Texas National Cemetery . Very few are buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like people from Civil War, Medal of Honor winners a few from the Alamo and all the historical people of Texas . It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the crazy church from Kansas that protests at military funerals away from us. Each SEAL put his Trident ( metal SEAL badge) on the top of Chris' casket one at a time. A lot hit it in with one blow, Derek was the only one to take 4 taps to put his in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it. Another tearful moment.

After the service the governor's wife, Anita Perry, invited us to the governor's mansion. She stood at the door and greeted each of us individually and gave the SEALs a coin of Texas . We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into the garden for beer and BBQ. So many of the team guys said that after they get out they are moving to Texas . That they had never felt so much love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his spot.

Quite an emotional, but blessed week.

[hookedonbass]

captnemo that was inspiring. Thank you to the soldiers and there families.

[DarkSkies]

Thank you Capt. I agree with hookedonbass.


A quote I remember from the recent Memorial Day service....

"The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge

[basshunter]

Great thread gents. Thought I would share this. RIP
18916

[voyager35]

5 soldiers recently died in afghanistan. Joseph Lemm was one of the NYPD brothers. RIP
http://abc7ny.com/news/wake-held-for-nypd-officer-joseph-lemm-killed-in-afghanistan/1137652/

[clamchucker]

It's sad to lose anyone over there. Especially sad to lose an officer. I think a lot of folks don't realize that we are still on duty in that country and that any American is considered a target. Thoughts and prayers sent.