Tribute to fallen soldiers.

[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.

Poster 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 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
A 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 The 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 (1997).

[Pebbles]

Heartbreaking

[DarkSkies]

Heartbreaking

Just saw this Pebbles, yes it is.

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by Surfstix, thanks!

















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

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.
U.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
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 and Mark Mueller/The Star-Ledger

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...unty_kill.html

[paco33]

bump for the soldiers. freedom isn't free.

[stripermania]

Remember what they do for us.

[bababooey]

Another one down, RIP.


New Jersey soldier Sgt. Marcos Gorra killed in Afghanistan

BY Oren Yaniv
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 and died serving his adopted country.




Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, an Army paratrooper from North Bergen, N.J., 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, 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, the commander of Gorra's unit. "He was a member of the pathfinder team that achieved significant mission success in southern 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.
"I'm the oldest of 3 children," wrote Gorra on his MySpace 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!

[FONT='Times New Roman', helvetica]
[/FONT]

[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)


EOD2Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Second Class)


"MIKE MONSOOR"


April 5th, 1981 ~ September 19th, 2009







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!










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://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 | Reporter
Posted: 4:11 pm EDT April 29, 2010Updated: 7:39 pm EDT April 29, 2010
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Watch Video





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 SLIDESHOW: Hero Farewell For Fallen Soldier
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...

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!
Congrats on the new life and the AA anniversaries.



ED W. FREEMAN

Captain, U.S. Army Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
By 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/ar...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

Posted on 02 May 2010 by Jerry Castillo
Week 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 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....

[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.