The Groundtruth from a combat veteran, backed up by independent research and historical study. Information beneficial to the Troops. And a touch of objective politics, as it relates to the subjects at hand.
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Children's Books
Ages 7 and up
Marjorie Haun relates the stories of Vietnamese children, and their escape from the invading Communist forces of the North, including the heroism of Fathers and Troops.
These books can be read to children by parents, teachers, or other role models and there are more to come in the series.
Beanies For Baghdad Putting Smiles on Faces of Soldiers by putting smiles on the faces of Iraqi & Afghani children and hence the faces of their parents.
Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of G
Guantanamo Bay - Montgomery Granger
Review by Ms Marti: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/11/saving-grace-at-guantanamo-bay-by-montgomery-j-granger.html
The Facts about what has happened at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and who is detained there. More here: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2009/02/the-unvarnished-truth-about-gitmo-long-overdue.html
Hitler's Panzers
WWII scholar, Professor of History, Colorado College, uses Soldier interviews, archives & other information to demonstrate effectiveness of Armored Warfare as developed by Nazi Germany and pertinent to future warfare.
I need to extend a huge THANKS to two very important people in my life.....one an Army veteran and the other a Marine!
The 2012 MCM was fast approaching, along with Hurricane Sandy. The runners were gathered in D.C. and surrounding areas watching the news, carbo loading, thinking about their race day strategy. Would the hurricane cancel the race? What would it be like running through wind and rain being pushed by a hurricane?
For this runner, it was a notable year as a first timer running the MCM 10k race.
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Jan. 3, 2013 - With a simple idea and their fallen Marine son's Servicemembers Group Life Insurance check, a retired soldier and his wife are honoring his memory through a program that's bringing new hope and self-confidence to wounded warriors.
Pictured: William "Mike" White, founder of Camp Hope for wounded warriors, left, chats with Army Capt. Joe Bogart, a wounded warrior who said the camp restored his sense of independence. U.S. Army photo by Michael William Petersen
William "Mike" White, an equipment operator at the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command here, remembers as if it were yesterday the dreaded knock on the door as he and his wife, Galia, learned that their son, Marine Pfc. Christopher Neal White, had been killed. The young White, an avid outdoorsman who grew up in rural Kentucky, died in Iraq's Anbar province two days after Father's Day, 2006.
Heartbroken and guilt-ridden that he had convinced his wife to allow their son to join the military, White struggled to find meaning in their personal tragedy. "I had to take a negative and make it a positive. It had to be done," he said.
Alone on a hunting trip -- an endeavor he and his son had often shared -- White came up with the inspiration for Camp Hope.
"I wanted to start a place for our wounded guys, to teach them that even if they have one arm or one leg or no arms or no legs or they're blind, that they could still get out and enjoy the outdoors," he said. "Little did I know it was going to lead to where we are today."
The Whites used Christopher's SGLI payment to buy Chris Neal Farm, a 170-acre retreat in southeast Missouri, and home of Camp Hope.
Five years later, Camp Hope is exceeding everything the senior White could have imagined. Hundreds of combat-wounded warriors from across the United States have flocked there to participate in everything Christopher White loved: skeet shooting, hunting, fishing, hiking, exploring the great outdoors and relaxing around an ever-burning fire pit.
The idea, White explained, is to allow wounded warriors to experience the healing powers of nature as they focus on what they can do, instead of what they cannot.
Operated through private and corporate donations and a legion of volunteers, Camp Hope provides a supportive, loving environment and a renewed sense of community to wounded warriors, White explained.
"We are really not doing anything special other than offering them a place and an opportunity to be able to get back and talk with other folks whose boots have been in the same dirt," he said.
White is the first to admit that he had no grand plan when he and his wife founded Camp Hope. "Everything that has happened has pretty much been an accident," he said. "You can't plan some of the things that have happened. There is no way. It just happens."
But the healing effect, he said, is undeniable.
"There is a magic thing about Camp Hope. I can't explain it. I really can't," White said. "All I know is that it does things for the good for people. It gives a lot of hope to a lot of people. It changes their attitude when they are there."
Army Sgt. Bobby Lee Lisek, a severely wounded warrior who attended the very first gathering at Camp Hope, said he was amazed at the transformation within himself.
"Camp Hope is the greatest place ever. They don't hold you or hold you back. They don't say, 'No you can't.' There is no limit to what you can do here," he said.
Admitting to White that he'd been struggling with suicidal thoughts before arriving at Camp Hope, Lisek said, "I don't know where I'd be today if I didn't have somewhere to go like Camp hope. I'm just at peace here."
So much at peace, in fact, that Lisek volunteers his time regularly as a hunting guide, helping other visitors to Camp Hope experience the same kind of transformation he did.
Army Capt. Joe Bogart, another Camp Hope veteran, said the experience gave him a renewed sense of independence. "I got part of my old self back," he said. "I healed in ways I didn't know I needed to."
For Army Spc. Adam Berkemeier, the healing came through taking on new challenges. "They push me to do more because they know I am capable of more," he said.
For Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Kinnamore, who called his visit to Camp Hope "one of the best experiences I've had in years," healing came through camaraderie with fellow wounded warriors.
"I had forgotten how to socialize," he said. "It was good to be able to sit around the fire pit and talk with people who had been in the same place I had been in and who knew what was going on, what I'm going through. It helped me relax for the first time in a long time."
The Whites' work at Camp Hope has received national recognition. In 2010, the Army honored White with its prestigious Spirit of Hope Award, and the National AMVETS Ladies' Auxiliary presented him its Humanitarian of the Year award.
Veterans groups and individual and corporate sponsors have stepped up their support as volunteers or donors, covering all costs for veterans to participate and even sponsoring special trips to Alaska and other destinations.
The camp has become such a success that White hopes to open a second Camp Hope, near Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest to reach more wounded warriors. Once it's operational, White said he plans to rely on wounded warriors who have attended the camp themselves to run its day-to-day operations.
He even envisioned it creating a ripple effect, with Camp Hopes scattered around the country to help wounded warriors heal.
White said the calls he regularly receives from parents and spouses, thanking him for the difference Camp Hope has made in their loved ones' lives, is the driving force that keeps him motivated to drive on.
"That's our payday," he said. "That's what makes us continue to do what we do."
Six years after his son's death, White still gets choked up when he talks about the enthusiastic young boy who loved the outdoors and dreamed of becoming a Marine. Making things right after losing him would be impossible, he admitted.
"But now that we know we've been able to help some of these young folks coming back, even saving some of them from committing suicide or hurting themselves, it makes it a little bit easier to accept," he said. "Camp Hope is all about Helping Other People Excel. And as it honors Christopher's memory, that's exactly what it does for these wounded warriors."
Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his co-accused - Walid bin Attash, Ramzi
Binalshibh, Ali abd al Azziz Ali, Mustafa Ahmed al Hawsawi - today
return to the GITMO Military Tribunal proceedings.
For those who have been living under a rock the last few years:
On May 31, 2011, [these] five
individuals were charged jointly, in connection with their alleged roles
in the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States. They are
charged with committing the following eight offenses: conspiracy;
attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; intentionally causing
serious bodily injury; murder in violation of the law of war;
destruction of property in violation of the law of war; hijacking or
hazarding a vessel or aircraft; and terrorism.
Last the public saw this crew was back in June. At that time, This Ain't Hell live blogged
the proceedings from Ft Meade. To read the shenaningans the co-accused
were pulling on that day is to marvel at the patience of the presiding
Judge, U.S. Army Col. James L. Pohl.
As my regular readers know, one year ago, my friend Brian Cowdrey gave his life in service to his country.
As has been shared since that terrible day, Brian was one of the best of
the best at what he did in his professional life. NObody ever doubted
that when Brian answered a call to GO, lives would be saved. That is
what he did, and there are many of our Military (yes, including
coalition Troops) who are alive today because Brian never hesitated to
go into danger, because there were wounded who needed his skills and
dedication.
THIS is one of my favourite pictures of Brian at work.
I knew Brian for many years, and it was my privilege to come to see the
private Brian, the Brian who loved (LOVES) his family - Brian the
family man: the son, the brother, the lover, the husband, the oh so
proud dad, the goofball at play...
Even though Brian talked to me many times of Jill, his kids and his
family, it is only in the last year that I have been blessed to come to
know Jill, and Brian's family, first-hand..
One year ago on this day, I stood on the New York Presbyterian Hospital
deck looking down at the East River. In the weeks prior to the 10th
anniversary of that terrible day when evil struck at the heart of
America, I had listened to Jack Delaney - who was Director of Emergency
Services at New York Presbyterian Hospital on 9/11 - as he shared his
experiences of that day and the aftermath. If you missed it the first
time, go here and read his first-hand account.
Now looking down at the river I felt so small as I watched the boat
traffic gently riding the waves on this Sunday morning. I thought back
to the Tuesday morning ten years earlier; one of America's darkest
days, but also a day where the heart of America shone so brightly.
As
I stood quietly watching the ebb and flow of this river, I was so
incredibly humbled. I had come to this place on this day at the
invitation of some very special Americans. I had come to remember and
honour. A few years earlier I had been privileged to interview the mom
and dad of Keith Fairben, a Paramedic who died on 9/11, along with his
partner Mario Santoro, as they were focused on saving others' lives.
First Diane, Keith's mom, and then Ken,
Keith's dad, had honoured me by sharing their hearts, the heart of
their son with me, and allowing me to tell the world the story of his
life.
Through
Ken and Diane, and then Jack, I came to see 9/11 through the hearts of
Americans, that the mainstream media will never understand.. Yes, last
year the msm was in a frenzy because it was the 10-year anniversary,
but I had been shown the still-beating hearts of those most directly
impacted, and I came to New York to see, and to hold, those hearts.
Standing next to Jack Delaney on the deck, I thought of all the broken
hearts - hearts that were stopped, and hearts that still beat, but will
forever be wrapped in sorrow because evil struck the heart of America on
that bright day in September 2001.
On September 11, 2001, I sat
in front of my television 3,000 miles away from Ground Zero as the msm
talking heads tried to make some sense of the horrific images they kept
repeating, over and over. I cried a lot that day and in the ensuing
weeks even though, on the surface of the matter, I was far removed from
the horrors of that day.
US Army Reserve Command Story by Timothy Hale 6.6.2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A permanent memorial, dedicated to all U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who have paid the ultimate price for freedom throughout history, was unveiled June 6, 2012, at the U.S. Army Reserve Command headquarters, here.
The Army Reserve's top enlisted soldier, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz, recognizes those who made the Fallen Soldier Memorial a reality during the dedication of the U.S. Army Reserve Command Fallen Soldier Memorial at the command's headquarters building on Fort Bragg, N.C., June 6, 2012. The permanent memorial honors all Army Reserve Soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We’re free today because for nearly 237 years, whenever freedom has been threatened, gallant men and women have answered the call,” said Maj. Gen. Keith L. Thurgood, U.S. Army Reserve Command chief of staff.
WASHINGTON, May 28, 2012 – The Defense Department’s most senior leaders today honored Vietnam War veterans, including their own friends and mentors, in a commemoration at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall here they said was long overdue.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta escorts 93-year-old Sarah Shay to lay a wreath in remembrance of her son, Maj. Donald Shay Jr., during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., May 28, 2012. Maj. Shay has been missing in action from the Vietnam War for 42 years. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and actor Tom Selleck all mentioned friends and mentors whose names are among the 58,282 etched into the black granite panels. They joined President Barack Obama in a ceremony marking the beginning of the 50th anniversary of the war.
The Vietnam War ended in April 1975 when North Vietnamese troops took the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. While the end date is a certainty, it is a mirror of the war and the divisions it caused that Americans still disagree on when U.S. involvement in the country began.
Today, Memorial Day in America, it seems more than fitting that a Memorial has been dedicated to my "nephew" SSG Brian Cowdrey, an American Hero:
On Memorial day many people visit memorial sites and cemeteries to honor those who have died serving our great country. Today the Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan are honoring a fallen hero and dedicating a helicopter ramp in his memory.
From RC East:
Monday, 28 May 2012 23:31
The real “memorial” day
Written by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon, RC-East PAO
ALALABAD, Afghanistan – There wasn’t a BBQ with friends. No kids splashed in a pool or lined up for a rollercoaster on the official first day of the “summer fun” season. No-one got the day off. Memorial day wasn’t anything except a day to gather and remember, mark a patch of concrete with a small monument, and lament losing a friend.
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Troopers salute a memorial dedicated to U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert "Brian" Cowdrey. Cowdrey died Oct. 13, 2011 while rescuing wounded servicemembers from a small combat outpost near the Pakistan Border. MEDEVAC troops on Forward Operating Base Fenty had the helicopter landing pad in the V.I.P. arrival area re-named "Cowdrey Ramp," and erected a small monument to honor his life on Memorial Day. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon
“Sometimes, I think about how many lives Brian affected,” said U.S. Army Capt. Augustine Castronovo, the MEDEVAC platoon leader on Forward Operating Base Fenty, near Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
On October 13th, 2011, Castronovo’s MEDEVAC unit responded to an urgent call from a small observation post in Kunar province, near the Pakistan border. The post had been under heavy enemy fire, and three Coalition Soldiers were critically wounded, requiring evacuation.
Among the medics on board was U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert “Brian” Cowdrey, from Atwater, Ohio. Cowdrey was seasoned combat veteran on his fourth deployment, known for his “hard right over easy wrong” attitude.
WASHINGTON, April 18, 2012 – The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is seeking active duty service members and recent veterans to serve as volunteer mentors to children of the military fallen over Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C.
TAPS, a nonprofit organization that provides support and care to families of the military fallen, will host nearly 500 children and teens from across the nation at its 18th Annual TAPS Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp.
Volunteer mentors work with these children one-on-one, serving as a camp guide and offering a sympathetic ear or shoulder to cry on. Mentors have ranged from privates to generals, and represent all military services.
Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, GA-Cpl. Dustin J. Lee, military police working dog handler, takes a break with his K-9 partner, Lex, during operations in Iraq in 2007. Lee was killed and Lex was wounded in a 73 mm rocket attack, March 21, 2007. Later that year, Lex was adopted by Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel., Courtesy Photo, 11/28/2006
3/29/2012 By Nathan L. Hanks Jr. , Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany
Marine Corps Logistics Base ALBANY Ga. — Lex, a retired Marine Corps K-9, died Sunday at Mississippi State University Animal Health Center College of Veterinary Medicine in Starkville, Miss., from an aggressive form of cancer.
He served the Marine Corps from January 2002 to December 2007.
Lex received national attention when he became the first military working dog to be retired from active-duty in the Marine Corps and adopted by the family of a fallen Marine, Cpl. Dustin J. Lee.
He was adopted by his handler’s family, Jerome and Rachel Lee, during a nationally-televised ceremony aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Dec. 21, 2007.
Lex’s handler, Lee, 20, of Quitman, Miss., was fatally wounded during a 73 mm rocket attack in Iraq, March 21, 2007. Lex, who sustained shrapnel wounds during the incident, remained with his partner until other Marines arrived to provide medical attention. Following the incident, Lex underwent 12 weeks of intensive treatment at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before he was deemed fully recovered.
Several months following the incident, Lee’s parents, Jerome and Rachel - avid dog lovers - began appealing to the Marine Corps for the adoption of Lex, even though the dog was returned to active duty with the Marines.
The Lee family’s request was indeed a unique one, the first of its kind. After months of prayers, mailing tons of letters, and making hundreds of phone calls, the Lee family’s prayers were answered.
Since his adoption, Lex had been busy giving back to those who served, according to Rachel Lee.
“Lex, a certified therapy dog with Paws 4 Hearts, visited many wounded veterans in hospitals and veterans’ homes,” she said. “He was involved in many veteran meetings and dedications and brought more awareness to the War Dog Memorial.
“Lex demonstrated the important role of a military working dog and brought more understanding to the relationship between a military working dog and its handler,” she said. “Dustin and Lex’s mission of service will continue on in their honor.”
For Lee’s actions, MCLB Albany’s K-9 kennel was renamed the Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee Kennel during a ceremony held here, March 19, 2010.
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2012 – The National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals highlighted the club’s ninth annual military appreciation night yesterday with a six-figure donation to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors program.
The TAPS program, founded in 1994, provides support for anyone who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of their relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death.
2/28/2012 By Cpl. Joshua J. Hines, 2nd Marine Division
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marines and sailors entered the somber theater by the dozens. Each was prepared to pay their last respects to eight of their fallen brothers during the memorial service held by 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at the base theater aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 24.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJUENE N.C. -A Marine with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division places a set of identification tags on the grip of the memorial stand of Lance Cpl. Franklin N. Watson, during the 1st Bn., 6th Marines, memorial service held in honor of eight of the battalions fallen heroes in the base theater aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 24. , Cpl. Joshua J. Hines
Seaman Riley Gallinger-long, Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian K. Lundy, Lance Cpls. Travis M. Nelson, Terry C. Write, Franklin N. Watson, Scott D. Harper, Christopher P. Levy and Cpl. Phillip D. Mcgeath all made the ultimate sacrifice fighting alongside their fellow Marines and sailors while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Serbian police say they arrested 15 suspected radical Islamists, on Saturday, a day after a gunman who is believed to have ties to an islamist group opened fire at the U.S. embassy in neighboring Bosnia.
Serbian Interior Ministry officials say the suspects were arrested during raids in three towns in southwestern Serbia with large Muslim communities. They say the raids targeted supporters of the Wahhabi movement, a strict, conservative branch of Islam that is dominant in Saudi Arabia.
On Friday, a gunman identified as Mevlid Jasarevic opened fire and wounded a police officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo before he was wounded by a police officer and arrested.
Mother Patti Frist, and father Dennis Frist of fallen soldier Spc. Luke Frist, stand with Indiana Adjutant General Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger at the Lafayette, Ind., National Guard and Reserve Center, Aug. 6. Umbarger and the family dedicated their son’s shadowbox to the armory’s Wall of Honor, memorializing their son’s sacrifice over the facility’s drill floor. Indiana National Guard photo by Sgt. John Crosby, 120th Public Affairs Detachment. Photo by Sgt. John Crosby
08.06.2011 Story by Sgt. John Crosby LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Family, friends and comrades of a fallen U.S. Army Reserve soldier gathered at the Lafayette, Ind., Armory today, Saturday, Aug. 6 to induct his shadowbox to the facility’s “Wall of Honor.”
by Capt. Pamela Stauffer Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Public Affairs
7/18/2011 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFNS) -- Losing a loved one can be one of the most difficult experiences in life, causing family members to make major adjustments to compensate for the loss.
This can be exceptionally difficult for families with loved ones missing in action who have never returned from war.
Maj. Gen. Duane A. Jones presents the U.S. flag to Joan Bergsteinsson and Alan Brink, cousins of missing in action service member Maj. Richard G. Elzinga, July 8, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery. Elzinga was repatriated at a graveside inurnment service where members of the Bolling Air Force Base Honor Guard rendered military funeral honors. General Jones is the director of Resource Integration, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Pamela Stauffer)
Members of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Past Conflict Branch bridge the gap for families by providing loved ones with evidence gathered from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command efforts.
Mortuary specialists from AFMAO meet with family members to provide the identification results from JPAC's investigation of service members missing in action from the Korean and Vietnam wars.
A graveside inurnment service was held for Korean War veteran Maj. Richard Gene Elzinga at Arlington National Cemetery July 8.
The final honor: The Old Guard Soldiers conduct Arlington funerals with decorum, respect
By Elizabeth M. Collins
The image is as tragic as it is iconic: A grieving widow or mother sobs and clutches Old Glory like a lifeline while a proud, decorated Soldier in dress blues and white gloves kneels and murmurs condolences “on behalf of a grateful nation.”
Someday those words of gratitude might mean something to her, might make her proud instead of sad. But today, they are a cold comfort. The bereaved could equally be a husband, father, sibling, son or daughter"they are all alike in their devastation, in wondering how life can possibly go on. A loved one is gone, along with their dreams, hopes and plans for the future.
The Old Guard Soldiers fold a flag at a mock-gravesite.
It’s not easy for the Soldiers who conduct the funeral ceremonies either. Handing that flag over is “extraordinarily tough,” said Staff Sgt. Shawn Hall of The Old Guard, who has had the responsibility numerous times, although the task is usually given to a military chaplain or flag officer. It’s also “an absolute, utter honor,” he continued"the very least the nation can do to honor the men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion.
Sgt. Leonard Arcos, an El Paso, Texas, native and Sgt. Aziz Mohammed, a New York native, both operations non-commissioned officers with the 51st Transportation Company, helped transport the memorial from Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, to Arifjan, Kuwait. The final destination for the memorial is Mannheim, Germany, where it will be presented in a ceremony to the fallen soldier’s parents. Photo by Sgt. Felicya Adams
July 2, 2011 Story by Spc. Matthew Keeler JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – What makes a memorial so important to soldiers and service members? Is it the type of wood or metal that defines the structure or the paint that causes the memorial to stand for more than just a simple sign?
Force Master Chief Steven Studdard, left, and the wife of fallen Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, carry a wreath during the sixth anniversary ceremony held at Naval Special Warfare Command to honor the men of Operation Red Wings. Jeffrey S. Taylor was killed during an operation to attempt to rescue a four-man SEAL team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan. The operation claimed the lives of 11 Navy SEALs and eight Army soldiers assigned to the Night Stalkers of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Megan Anuci)
MCLEAN, Va., June 29, 2011 – The parents of a Marine Corps sergeant killed in Afghanistan accepted a posthumous National Intelligence Medal for Valor on their son’s behalf at the National Intelligence Directorate headquarters here today.
National Intelligence Director James R. Clapper, left, presents the National Intelligence Medal for Valor to the parents of Marine Sgt. Lucas T. Pyeatt, a signals intelligence team leader who was killed while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 5, 2011. Cynthia and Lon "Scott" Pyeatt, above, accepted the award on behalf of their son during a ceremony today at the National Intelligence Directorate headquarters in McLean, Va. DOD photo by Karen Parrish
Sgt. Lucas T. Pyeatt, 24, a signals intelligence team leader from West Chester, Ohio, died Feb. 5 during combat operations in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
National Intelligence Director James R. Clapper, left, presents the National Intelligence Medal for Valor to the parents of Marine Sgt. Lucas T. Pyeatt, a signals intelligence team leader who was killed while on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 5, 2011. Cynthia and Lon "Scott" Pyeatt, above, accepted the award on behalf of their son during a ceremony today at the National Intelligence Directorate headquarters in McLean, Va. DOD photo by Karen Parrish (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
MCLEAN, Va., June 29, 2011 - The parents of a Marine Corps sergeant killed in Afghanistan accepted a posthumous National Intelligence Medal for Valor on their son's behalf at the National Intelligence Directorate headquarters here today.
Sgt. Lucas T. Pyeatt, 24, a signals intelligence team leader from West Chester, Ohio, died Feb. 5 during combat operations in Helmand province. He was assigned to the 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
National Intelligence Director James R. Clapper presented the award to Lon "Scott" Pyeatt and Cynthia Pyeatt during the small ceremony this morning.
"We're here today to pay tribute to an outstanding Marine and an extraordinary intelligence professional," Clapper said. "The Marine Corps has already recognized Luke, so this is ... a small token of appreciation and respect and esteem from the intelligence community."
Clapper said Pyeatt was a "standout young man," a Civil War buff and an accomplished bass player, who was sensitive enough to learn American Sign Language so he could communicate with, and interpret for, a deaf friend.
"He was an Eagle Scout ... [and] a young man who lived his faith, including serving on a mission in Russia," Clapper added.
To celebrate his life and remember the good times was the desire of Royal Marine David C. Hart, should he not make it back from his Afghanistan deployment.
One year after his death, 32 of his close friends and their partners are traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada to fulfill a request of British Royal Marine David C. Hart, a combat medic killed in Afghanistan.
A targeted Coalition Special Forces operation against the rogue Afghan National Army soldier suspected of killing Lance Corporal Andrew Jones last month has resulted in his death and the detention of a man believed to be his brother.
The operation occurred in Khowst Province overnight and was based on intelligence developed by Coalition and Afghan agencies since the shooting in Chora on 30 May.
Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said despite intentions to detain Shafied Ullah, his death could not be avoided after he posed a direct threat to the Coalition Special Forces team carrying out the mission.
Commentary by Maj. Rosaire Bushey Air Education and Training Public Affairs
6/8/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Today, I had the privilege to be a very small part of several hundred people who gathered to honor a fallen warrior. Army Sgt. Thomas Bohall returned to Texas today from Afghanistan, and he was met by a line of respect that stretched for more than half a mile.
Words, however, are a poor substitute to the sights and, more specifically, to a single face in which a whole world of non-verbal emotion collided.
Lining the road there were uniforms, mostly ABUs, the odd BDU, flight suits, civilian slacks, skirts, suits. They were representative of the team that makes the military work. They were worn by every skin tone you could consider, and they came equipped with boots, shoes, pumps, and heels; with berets, flight caps, garrison caps and cowboy hats. They stood under a double line of 50 state flags. Everywhere you looked you could see all of America represented.
Each year, in the United States, approximately 40,000 people are killed on American roads. Over the last few years, approximately 40,000 people have been killed in Drug Cartel crimes in Mexico. Recent Tornado's killed approximately 140 in the American South. The final count on deaths from Tsunamis in Japan and previously Thailand will never be known for certain, but thousands and more than a 100,000 are conservative estimates. Thousands of Afghan civilians and Thousands of Iraqi civilians are killed by terrorists every year.
Yet, the MSM doesn't publish the daily body counts in the Mexican Drug War, those of Iraqi based terrorists, Palestinian based terrorists, Afghanistan based terrorists, Pakistan based terrorists, civilian suicides, or those killed on American roadways, not even those killed by drug-crazed or drunken drivers. They do give the daily body count of any American Servicemember remotely connected to Afghanistan (and used to do so on those remotely connected to Iraq). Conversely, they'll use hours of broadcast time to tell the life stories of journalists that are killed in a combat zone, even if due to their own decisions to be in places of known extreme risk, as if the journalist were a saint.
War On Terror News does not report Fallen Soldiers as mere numbers, but by name. Conversely, we also don't report on numbers or names of civilians killed by cars, or suicide. This bears the question: Is a Soldier's Death more important than a Civilian's?
No, it is not more important, but the way a man or woman lives is different. No one can or should rejoice that someone has died. No one is immune from bereavement when a loved one dies. If a loved one is killed in a car accident, a tsunami, old age, or war, it leaves a hole in the lives of all that truly knew them. The families of the fallen are not immune from that, and neither is the grandson of a 90 year old woman. But it is easier for our minds to justify the loss of someone to old age than for a mother to adjust to the loss of a child.
Before departing for a tour in Afghanistan, First Lieutenant Todd Weaver left a note to his 9 month year old daughter.Todd Weaver was killed on September 9, 2010 by an improvised explosive device.
WASHINGTON, May 25, 2011 - Deborah Mullen, a Navy wife and mom and a military family advocate, has been married to Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for 40 years.
"Please don't ever forget my son."
That's what a Mom -- a Gold Star mother -- said to my husband recently.
"He was my only son," she continued, "and he died doing what he loved. But please don't ever forget him."
Michael promised her that he wouldn't. He and I hear that same entreaty and make that same promise each and every time we have the privilege of being in the company of Gold Star families. These proud Americans have lost so much, have endured such pain. And yet they ask nothing for themselves. All they want is for someone, anyone, to remember the life and the service of a loved one.
05.24.2011 BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota National Guard will host a Sacrifice for Freedom tribute at Memorial Hall at the North Dakota Capitol at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 26.
The ceremony will honor service members from North Dakota who have been killed in action in the global war on terrorism. The event also serves as a tribute to all members of the U.S. military who have dedicated and sacrificed their lives for the nation. Gov. Jack Dalrymple and Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, adjutant general for the North Dakota National Guard, are scheduled to speak at the event.
Born May 24, 1985 to J.B. 'Nubbin' and Angela Johnston, Gary S. Johnston called Windthorst, Texas home. He was named after an uncle, J.B.'s brother, SSgt Gary C. Johnston, who was KIA during the Vietnam War. Gary grew up on a dairy farm with his sisters, outside of Windthorst, a town of 500 people.
As a young boy, Gary spent his time shooting trap, playing a variety of sports ranging from baseball, basketball and football to track. He began playing sports at an early age on a PeeWee/Midgets team.
Gary was such an accomplished trap shooter, that he won multiple championships in 4-H Shooting Sports and the Amateur Trap Shooting Association.
He carried that dedication to succeed with him as he grew into a young man, continuing to participate in various sports while attending Windthorst High School. Perhaps it was that Gary always strived to be the best he could no matter what he was doing.
Commentary by Chaplain (Capt.) David Leonard 36th Wing
5/18/2011 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- I handed a coin to the driver saying, "You are taking my brother-in-law on his last ride. I don't want you to forget this."
U.S. Air Force Academy students and staff members line the street as the funeral procession for Maj. Philip Ambard, an Academy foreign language professor, passes by May 5, 2011, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
No one who knew Maj. Philip Ambard will ever forget him. He was born in Venezuela, but loved his adopted country passionately. He joined the U.S. Air Force, quickly moving up the ranks and being selected for senior master sergeant before being commissioned. Phil had five kids, four of who are now serving in the active duty military.
Phil was a foreign language professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He deployed to Afghanistan four months ago to help train the Afghan Air Force. His life came to an end in Kabul after
05.13.2011 Story by Senior Airman Tong Duong JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- Seemingly lost, he turns to steal a glance at a friend, only to reveal his sad puffy eyes and down-turned lips.
From behind the glass, the two appear to loaf in a sea of sorrow, as if carrying the memory of a lost brother.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Abraham Agiba, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group medical technician, takes a moment to observe the fish May 12.
Elizabeth Cross presented to the family of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker
May 11, 2011 by ukforcesafghanistan
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne has presented the Elizabeth Cross to the family of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker at a private ceremony held at the Defence Animal Centre.
Liam’s mother Jane Duffy collected the medal together with his father Ian Tasker, brother Ian, his two sisters Laura and Nicola, and his girlfriend Leah.
Keith Fairben - Paramedic at New York Presbyterian Hospital
Keith Fairben was a paramedic on 9/11/2001. He died saving lives in the worst mass murder on American soil. He is the only child of Ken and Diane Fairben.
I believe it is really important that those most affected by what happened that terrible day, and the ensuing Global War on Terror, be heard. Their voices matter. Diane, Keith's mom, shared her thoughts on Osama bin Laden's death with me the other day here. As I noted there, I did talk to Keith's dad, Ken, as news was coming in of the killing of OBL, but that was off the record.
Ken and I have now talked - on the record. His thoughts on Osama bin Laden's death, and other related issues:
When the news starting hitting social media sites late the other night that Osama bin Laden had been killed by a team of US SEALs, my heart immediately went to the families I know and love who were so personally affected by OBL's act of terrorism on American soil on September 11, 2001.
President Obama's announcement tonight is a symbolic and moral victory for all humanity. As the founder of Voices of September 11th, and the mother of Brad Fetchet who was killed in the World Trade Center in 2001, I want to express my gratitude to the President, the CIA, the military forces and all others who assisted. Tonight, as we think of all our 9/11 families, we also remember the families of all the troops and intelligence officers who gave their lives in pursuit of Al Qaeda and the man known as the architect of 9/11. It renews our faith that good can conquer evil and all people can breathe free.
Keep America Safe, another group born of that terrible day, put out this statement:
Pfc. Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano and Pfc. Henry Svehla will be inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes on May 3 at 2 p.m. EDT. Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III, Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and both soldiers’ families will participate in the ceremony.
President Barack Obama is expected to present the Medal of Honor to the families of Kaho’ohanohano and Svehla at a ceremony at the White House on May 2, 2011. On April 13 the White House announced the soldiers will be posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military honor for their heroic actions during the Korean War.
I want to thank the people of Rankin County, Mississippi, the residents of Brandon, Mississippi and those who came from the surrounding communities for honoring USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers on the day he was laid to rest!
In a stunning move [to the Westboro protestors], the Mississippi town of Brandon did what the Supreme Court refused to do. They stopped these protestors dead in their tracks!
Thanks to the smart thinking of the people of Rankin County Mississippi, some folks hanging out at a Brandon gas station, and I am sure a great many others, there was nary a protestor to be found at the funeral of USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers.
One can only hope that other cities, towns and counties across the United States will read and follow the example set here in Mississippi.
U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and 13 other Democratic and Republican Senators feel they do!
The Republican Senator from Maine introduced a bill last Wednesday "Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011" often referred to as the "SERVE Act of 2011", whose intent is to keep protesting people/groups from getting up close to these funerals. Also, the act will seek to increase the penalties if groups choose to not keep their distance.
Spurred on by a campaign that a Maine High School student started involving attempts to ban such disruptions at military funerals and the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Westboro Baptist Church protests at military funerals, Senator Snowe had this to say about the "SERVE Act of 2011."
Maj. Gen. Michael Regner, commanding general of 1st Marine Division, and his wife, Mary, present a thank you gift to Bonnie Carrol, president and founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors after Carrol gave a one-hour class on TAPS to commanders and family readiness officers of 1st Marine Division, March 4. (Official Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Joseph Reney)
03.07.2011 By 1st Lt. Joseph Reney MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Commanders and family readiness officers from 1st Marine Division increased their knowledge and understanding of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors at the Blinder Memorial Chapel here, March 4.
The brief was arranged specifically to educate 1st Marine Division key personnel who will likely engage family members whose loved one has given the ultimate sacrifice while serving his or her country.
First Marine Division Marines and sailors know the importance in understanding how to assist grieving Marine Corps and Navy families. Embracing every program and resource available it essential to taking care of 1st Marine Division families.
Brady Rusk, 12, gets a somber kiss from Eli, a bomb-sniffing military working dog, during a retirement and adoption ceremony at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 3, 2011. The Labrador retriever was assigned to Brady's older brother, Marine Corps Pfc. Colton Rusk, who was killed in Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
For a few bucks more you can get a signed copy from the author himself! http://www.deltabravosierra.us/2011/02/10/a-word-about-the-new-book/comment-page-1/#comment-3383
Get your copy of this legendary cartoon now (or wait a few days for the signed copy!)
The Man Who Declared War on America
A Comprehensive Work of OBL, his ties to Iran, Sudan, and the wide Islamist Terrorism networks, regardless of name.
SSgt Workman is featured in the Hall of Heroes and a book review on this from Marine Till Death that read it as it was written: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/shadow-of-the-sword-by-jeremiah-workman-w-john-bruning.html
http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2008/12/ssgt-jeremiah-workman-navy-cross-usmc-iraq-marion-oh.html and links to prior articles.
Go to War against the Nazis with SSG Smith of the 94th Infantry Division. Review: http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/04/everymans-war-vet.html.html
Ace Of Spades: Why Language Matters In this article, Ace of Spades demonstrates how the writing style of "journalists" and other writers is purposely used to influence the electorate. He explains this far better than I have been able to do, but this is the foundation of why I could no longer be silent.
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