War On Terror News

DOD to Hold Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony

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.

Mississippi Town Shows Westboro Protestors the meaning of "Thou Shall Not.....!"

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.

What happened?

Have families of fallen troops earned the right to bury their loved ones in peace?

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."

1st Marine Division TAPS into survivor assistance program

1st Marine Division

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.

Eli Comes Home to the Colton Rusk Family

Eli: Everyday Hero

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

Texas artist bringing the Fallen to Life

Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

A portrait of Cpl. Adam Chitjian, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who was killed in action in Balad, Iraq, Oct. 25, 2007, that was presented to his wife, Shirley Chitjian, by Phil Taylor, artist for and founder of The American Fallen Soldiers Project: Portraits of Patriotism, Jan. 7, during a memorial ceremony at the 58th Street Chapel. Photo by Sgt. Kimberly Browne

01.11.2011 Story by Sgt. Kimberly Browne FORT HOOD, Texas – Duty, honor and country—three words that instill pride into any soldier and their family. Yet, when a soldier is killed or missing in action these words can bring forth inspiration.

This desire was felt by Phil and Lisa Taylor, founders of the American Fallen Soldier Project, to help bring closure to the families and friends of fallen soldiers.

Phil presented a portrait of Cpl. Adam Chitjian, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, killed in action in Balad, Iraq, Oct. 25, 2007, to his wife Shirley Chitjian, Jan. 7, at the 58th Street Chapel.

“Our mission is to honor, respect and forever memorialize those who have sacrificed their lives protecting our freedom while serving in our Armed Forces,” said Phil. “Our goal, and the heart of The American Fallen Soldiers Project, is to comfort and serve the Gold Star families unconditionally and impartially to the best of our ability through our portraits.”

Shirley had submitted the portrait request in 2008 after finding Phil on the internet.

“I believe I was on the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) website when I ran across Phil and I then ‘googled’ him to find out more information,” Shirley said.

South Carolina Gold Star Families gather for celebration

81st Regional Support Command 

Isabella Phillips, 2, watches her brother Devrick, 6, play during a during the second annual Survivor Outreach Services holiday gathering Dec. 11 at Fort Jackson, S.C. Phillip’s uncle, Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr., 3, of Conway, S.C., died Sept. 25, 2008. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell

12.11.2010 Story by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell FORT JACKSON, S.C. – A nearby tree was lit up with colorful lights, presents were carefully placed underneath the green pine needles and laughter filled the atrium of the 81st Regional Support Command headquarters building during a holiday event Dec. 11.

Instead of exchanging gifts, several dozen family members at the second annual Survivor Outreach Services holiday gathering shared memories of their beloved Soldiers who have died.

'Rear D' Moves Into High Gear as Tragedy Strikes

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

12.03.2010  Story by Donna Miles WASHINGTON - When Army Maj. Bradd Schultz, rear detachment commander for the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, got a middle-of-the-night phone call from Afghanistan earlier this week, he knew the news wasn't going to be good.

Six soldiers from the brigade's 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, were killed Nov. 29 in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province –- reportedly at the hands of an Afghan border police officer. The soldiers killed were Sgt. 1st Class Barry E. Jarvis, Staff Sgt. Curtis A. Oakes, Spc. Matthew W. Ramsey, Pfc. Jacob A. Gassen, Pfc. Austin G. Staggs and Pfc. Buddy W. McLain.

The deaths bring the losses since the "Curahee Brigade" deployed to Afghanistan in August as the final element of the troop surge to 13.

"It's the worst kind of call you can get," Schultz said of receiving the news. "But I know, when that phone rings, this is it. This is why we are here. This is our time to do it right."

Gold Star Mother Offers Inspiration, Hope

11.29.2010 Story by Donna Miles FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - Just seven months after her 23-year-old son was killed in a helicopter crash in Iraq, and with three months left before her husband returns from his deployment to Afghanistan, Sheila Patton isn't facing the holidays feeling sorry for herself.

Instead, she's found a calling: helping to bring inspiration and hope to families of fallen soldiers at this post that's suffered a heavy toll in combat losses since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Patton, the wife of Army Command Sgt. Major Gregory Patton, command sergeant major for the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, feels the pain of her son's death as if it had happened yesterday.

Army Staff Sgt. James R. "Jimmy" Patton,

How to Honor The Fallen?

Bouhammer has brought to light a dispute between a family and a non-profit concerning a memorial to a Fallen Soldier.  I have no dog in the fight and insufficient information to form an opinion.  But it revisits the subject of how best to Honor Our Fallen Brothers and who should decide how to do so.

I default heavily to the family in the matter, but also note that some, like Cindy Sheehan care less about their own sons than they do about using their son's sacrifice for political and financial gain.  I'm often skeptical of Non-Profits & for-profits when they claim a pure motive.  I've seen behind those curtains and too often found motivations less than pure.  There are many Non-Profits collecting money for needed causes that we simply can't support because too much money is spent on advertising and salaries.

The most dreaded part of my day is when I get a DoD Notification that we post.  The most somber part of my week are the weekly Moments of Silence.  Ms Marti and I have had many discussions on how to best Honor Our Fallen, while not using it for gain.  Many friends and family have posted to the notifications here and one reader has dedicated individual video tributes to each, more recently.  We guard against malcontents that would spray graffiti hate on these pages.  These are pages where a family and friends can be free from such things.

Suicide Survivors Find Comfort With TAPS

Story by Elaine Wilson  10.12.2010  ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Miranda Kruse sits in a hotel lobby here, sharing her story as dozens of her friends pass by. She waves at some and jumps up to warmly hug others, carefully guarding a plate of sandwiches for her three children, who were off playing with friends.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, Kruse could barely leave her house, gripped by a loneliness and depression triggered by her husband's suicide that nearly swallowed her in darkness.

"Loneliness is so horrible after a suicide," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "There's such a stigma and everyone wants to point a finger."

It wasn't until she attended her first Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors seminar that she truly emerged from the darkness, she said. TAPS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the survivors of fallen military loved ones.

Mothers of fallen US troops visit Iraq

Written by Spc. Jennifer L. Montagna, 135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 3rd Infantry Division Sunday, October 03, 2010 12:55

SULAYMANIA – Nine mothers of fallen U.S. service members attended a three-day conference here Sept. 26, seeing first-hand what their loved ones were fighting for as the war that claimed their lives enters its final stage.

Colleen Parkin, of West Valley, Utah, hugs Staff Sgt. Joe Waterman during a Gold Star Mothers conference in Sulaymania, Iraq, Sept. 26, 2010. Parkin lost her son, Cpl. Matthew Reed Smith, of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, when the helicopter he was in crashed in 2005 near Ar Rutbah, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jennifer L. Montagna.

These special visitors were members of the Gold Star Mothers organization, created to provide emotional support to U.S. women who have lost a son or daughter in the line of duty. 

The conference began with speeches from the First Lady of Iraq, Hero Talabani, a representative from the Iraqi Martyrs Office, and the Task Force Marne Deputy Commanding General for Support, Brig. Gen. Tom Vandal.

“It's an honor to participate in today's events to recognize the sacrifices made by the Gold Star Mothers and to thank them for the sacrifices of their loved ones,” Vandal told those gathered at the Sulaymania Arts Center.

“As revered members of our military community, your love and devotion to the families of the armed services gives all of us strength and confidence knowing that you stand with us honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

In Perspective: Bringing a Missing Brother Home

[Editor's Note: For 17 years, LTC Buck wore the MIA bracelet of LTC Mason.  He presented it to Mrs. Mason when he brought home and laid to rest his brother.  We are honored to be allowed to share his story.]

by LTC Brian Buck,
©2010 Uncle Buck, all rights reserved.  

As a member of the military, I realize that there are times where I may be called upon to lay down my life for the defense of my country, to defend the constitution against all enemies. Some people can't understand this call to duty, they're lost in a world where these are foreign concepts best left for books or TV. This however, has always been a realization for me from the day I signed on, to the days I spent in Sarajevo as part of SFOR, through the year I spent in downtown Baghdad with MNF-I. But all that time I had a reminder with me that it's a price others have been willing to pay for my freedom and it's a duty I owe to everyone else.

That reminder was in the form of a POW/MIA bracelet commemorating Colonel William Henderson Mason. A small strip of aluminum engraved with his name and date of loss in the Vietnam war, May 22nd 1968. On that night then Lt Col Mason and the other 8 members of his crew lifted off in a C-130 under the callsign of BLIND BAT 01. They were bound for a point of the Ho Chi Minh trail that extended into southern Laos to drop illumination flares so that other aircraft in the area could see the enemy illuminated and drop ordinance on them. It was a dangerous mission...that night they did not return. Their C-130 was lost to AAA fire over the jungle near the border of Laos and Vietnam. Search missions found no trace of their aircraft the next day. The crew of BLIND BAT 01 were listed as Missing in Action.

 

All of this hapened a year and a few days before I was even born. I never really knew of, much less understood, the level of sacrifice these men and others made for me. It wasn't until my time in the Air Force ROTC program at Southeast Missouri State that I really started to appreciate the gravity of what could happen in my chosen line of work. In the Fall of 1990 my girlfriend at the time, who later I had the great fortune of marrying, and I purchased POW/MIA bracelets as a fundraiser for the Arnold Air Society. I randomly pulled SSG Russel Bott from the bucket, but she being more meticulous searched the bin and found one with the last name of Mason, with her father being in the Masonic Lodge it didn't take too long for her to make her choice.

 

Camp Bucca Iraq Flag presented to Ronald Bucca Jr.

Camp Bucca, Iraq flag presented to namesake's family
by Sgt. Randall Clinton USMC

NEW YORK -- The commanding officer of Camp Bucca, Iraq, the largest internment camp in American history, presented their flag to the family of Ronald Bucca Sr. above the New York City Fire Museum, Sept. 11.

Bucca, a New York City fire marshal, was killed in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001. In 2003, the detention facility was renamed in his honor as a tribute to the only fire marshal killed in the line of duty.

Col. Dan Lund, the last commanding officer of the camp, brought the Camp Bucca flag that had flown over the base to present to the family members as a tribute to Bucca’s sacrifice and bravery. The largest internment camp in American history will become a commercial area with an Iraqi force using a small part of the original outlay.

Is That Really My Son Buried There?

Imagine the horror of realizing that you have been going to the grave where you believe your son was buried some three years earlier only to find out, it might not be his body in that grave!

After all the uproar in Arlington National Cemetery over poor record keeping, mismanagement, etc. the newspapers seemed to find little more of interest to report about.  That is, until today when the parents of a Marine found out the truth about who was buried under the headstone of their son, Pfc Heath Warner, there at Arlington National Cemetery.

2008 Army Program Reaches Out to Families of Fallen

Survivor Outreach Services aids those left behind by Jennifer McCarthy, FT Dix

ARMY SUPPORT ACTIVITY-DIX, N. J. -- It was supposed to be a quick trip to the store to pick up a last minute item for supper, a mild inconvenience in an otherwise good day.

But as Ida Gonzalez walked to her car, she saw two men in green uniforms moving up her sidewalk. Those men would turn that good day into the nightmare that anyone who has ever loved a Soldier fears most.

The two men in uniforms were Army Casualty Notification officers informing the Gonzalez family that their son and brother, Spc. Michael L. Gonzalez, 340 Military Police Company, United States Army Reserves, died as the result of an improvised explosive device attack in Baghdad, Aug. 28, 2008.

TAPS Mentors Support Families of Fallen

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Elaine Wilson

08.19.2010  WASHINGTON - The day Scott Warner saw Marines standing at his front door, his world came to a crashing halt.

The service members told Warner that his son, Marine Pvt. Heath Warner, had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq's Anbar province.

Warner and his family, including his two younger sons, tried to come to terms with the tremendous loss while also attempting to navigate a huge and vastly unfamiliar military system.

"We were thrust into this military world that we didn't know how to interact with and didn't know how to connect with," Warner said. "At the same time, we had to deal with the death of our son."

Warner eventually found the support he needed through the

Arlington Cemetery Fields Phone Calls From Worried Families

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

06.22.2010  WASHINGTON, D.C. - Officials at Arlington National Cemetery have established a special call center to address concerns worried family members may have about the potential mishandling of their loved ones' remains.

Family members with concerns can call

McHugh Makes Changes at Arlington National Cemetary

McHugh Strengthens Arlington National Cemetery Management, Oversight

FORMER SENATORS DOLE, CLELAND WILL LEAD INDEPENDENT PANEL

    Secretary of the Army John McHugh today announced sweeping changes in the management and oversight of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) following completion of a months-long probe by the Army's Inspector General.

"While the Inspector General's (IG) team found that ANC employees – under an extraordinarily high operational tempo of 27 to 30 funerals a day – performed their jobs with dedication and to a high professional standard, they also found them hampered by dysfunctional management, the lack of established policy and procedures, and an overall unhealthy organizational climate," McHugh said.  "That ends today."

McHugh ordered the investigation following

Project Honor

I have struggled with this issue since we began our work at War On Terror News: How to Honor my Fallen Brothers, without any self-serving undertones.  It strikes most on Memorial Day.  But this day it is the call for another dollar from another site to support "Tributes" to the fallen.  The organization may be good.  It may be non-partisan.  Or it may not be.  But they want money.

We've been doing this for over two years.  The cost is inconsequential.  I can create websites without costing me a penny.

ANY family or friends (including those that served with the Fallen) wishing to tell their Fallen Hero's story, send me your stories.  Send me your pictures.  Send me your you tube links.  I will post them on the new site: Project Honor.  The rules are simple: No Politics.  No Dishonor.  No Advertisements.  No Requests for Donations. 

Stories should be of their lives, of the good they did, of the smiles they shared, of the laughter they caused, of their Valor, of their Honor, of their lives and wives (or husbands), of their children & their parents, of the love they shared with the world.

It is strictly voluntary.  I do ask that you state whether you want those stories copyright protected or open for sharing with others that wish to Honor your Hero.  As time permits, I may search out stories  and information publically available.  I may draw from comments on our primary site.

My first priority are the Fallen Heroes of Our Current Conflicts.  I will not turn away from any family from the fallen of any conflict.

Readers, if you are interested in helping in this project, let me know.  I cannot do it by myself.  I can post the stories sent in, but finding the stories of those that don't find me is more than I can ask of those that contribute daily here, without pay and without benefit.

My Email is WarOnTerrorNews AT Live DOT com

Petraeus Praises Families of Fallen

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs   Story by John Kruzel

04.14.2010  WASHINGTON, D.C. - A military adage says the reason service members take up arms in combat is on behalf of fellow troops to their right and their left.

But before an audience comprised of surviving families of fallen troops last night, April 13, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, suggested an additional factor motivating troops.

"The reason our troopers don body armor and a Kevlar helmet and go outside the wire day after day is because of their fierce determination not to let down their comrades on their left and right," he said, "and because of their fierce determination not to let down those who, like you and your loved ones, have given so much in the course of serving our country."

Petraeus delivered the keynote address at an annual gala sponsored by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, which provides

New Dover facility supports families of the fallen

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (1/6/10) -- The staff of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center has been providing dignity, honor and respect for fallen warriors, and care, service and support for their families since the unit was activated on Jan. 6, 2009.

So it was only appropriate that a new facility that will carry that family support even further be dedicated on the one-year anniversary.

By Edward Drohan  AFMAO Public Affairs

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided over the dedication of the Center for Families of the Fallen here Jan. 6, a new facility that will be a haven for families facing difficult times and difficult decisions. While an existing building was used for the center, renovations on the $1.6 million facility started in October and were completed this month.

AFMAO is the Department of Defense's sole port mortuary.

TAPS Hotline Sees 200% Influx Within 24 Hours of Shootings‏ at Fort Hood

Fort Hood Tragedy Deeply Impacts America's Surviving Military Families, TAPS Hotline Sees 200% Influx Within 24 Hours of Shootings‏

WASHINGTON – For the families of America’s fallen heroes, the tragic events this week at Fort Hood stirred flashbacks and reignited past emotional pain. Phone calls from surviving families to the TAPS Call Center’s toll-free hotline (1.800.959.TAPS) spiked 200% in the first 24 hours after the tragic shootings.
 
Transfixed by the news, the 25,000 surviving military families connected through TAPS have grown somber in the knowledge that thirteen families were receiving the dreaded notification knock on the door by military casualty teams.
 
For many, yesterday’s events caused them to re-visit their own knocks on the door, and

TAPS Offers Tips for supporting Families and Soldiers From Fort Hood

TIPS FOR SUPPORTING FAMILIES GRIEVING SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE FORT HOOD SHOOTING TRAGEDY
TAPS, the national organization providing comfort to families of America’s fallen heroes, offers advice
 

WASHINGTON – The horrific tragedy at Fort Hood has sent our nation into mourning, and many want to know how to express their condolences and support to the families left behind. Reaching out to express condolences is a natural and heartfelt reaction to tragedy. TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, offers the following tips for those seeking to express sympathy and support to the families of those who died at Fort Hood.

Honoring Gold Star Mothers Sept 27, 2009

Today, the "last Sunday in September," has been set aside as a day to honor our Gold Star Mothers!  This year that day falls on September 27, 2009.

 "The mothers of our Soldiers provide unwavering support to their sons and

daughters. When her child makes the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Nation, a

mother's quiet strength in the face of utmost loss inspires us all. These Gold Star Mothers

are uniquely amazing patriots, channeling their grief into the compassionate support of our

veterans, Soldiers, and other Families who have lost loved ones."

Source

"Thoughts from Dr. Joe"

Reprinted with permission from Maj Pain

(Hat tip to Seamus)

Joe Puglia requests that I post his open letter to the AP journalists who published the photo of LCpl Joshua Bernard as he lay wounded in Afghanistan.  Lance Corporal Bernard died on an operating table soon after this photo was taken.
 
His father, Marine 1stSgt Bernard, requested that they do not publish this photo (I will not here at OMV).

I’ve starred much too long at this empty computer screen and I’m not sure I have the words to express what I’m felling regarding Julie Jacobson, of the Associated Press (AP) and her photograph of Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard as he lay dying in some thankless, nameless, stinking village in Afghanistan.  I also anguish over AP’s CEO Tom Curley, and staff members Kathleen Carroll, and John Daniszewski’s decision to distribute and publish the picture. 
 
But you, Mr. Lyon, director of photography, don’t!  Don’t even

Reprinted with permission from Maj Pain

(Hat tip to Seamus)

Joe Puglia requests that I post his open letter to the AP journalists who published the photo of LCpl Joshua Bernard as he lay wounded in Afghanistan.  Lance Corporal Bernard died on an operating table soon after this photo was taken.
 
His father, Marine 1stSgt Bernard, requested that they do not publish this photo (I will not here at OMV).

I’ve starred much too long at this empty computer screen and I’m not sure I have the words to express what I’m felling regarding Julie Jacobson, of the Associated Press (AP) and her photograph of Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard as he lay dying in some thankless, nameless, stinking village in Afghanistan.  I also anguish over AP’s CEO Tom Curley, and staff members Kathleen Carroll, and John Daniszewski’s decision to distribute and publish the picture. 
 
But you, Mr. Lyon, director of photography, don’t!  Don’t even

Honoring the Fallen-Video Interview with Gold Star Dad Jeff Falkel

Video Interview with Gold Star Dad Jeff Falkel Now Online

 

On September 13th Anthony Pace with http://www.freedomhunters.org/ and myself [Bob Calvert, Host] broadcast a one hour interview from the home of Gold Star Parents Jeff and Dianne Falkel. Jeff talks about his Fallen Hero Son SSG Christopher Falkel.

 

Michael Reagon who has drawn over 1800 Portraits at no cost for Families of Fallen Heroes called in during this program.

 

You can watch this very moving interview with Jeff on two 32-Minute Videos online 24/7 on http://www.myfbn.com/ on our Truth in Iraq Channel or Channel 4.

 

Here is the direct link to our Talk Show MyFBN channel. The direct play link to the 2 episodes is right below.

Family of Fallen Paratrooper Builds Vintage Motorcycle in His Honor

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs  Story by Sgt. Michael Pryor

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Thomas Barbieri loves it when people ask him about the World War II replica motorcycle he built, because it gives him a chance to talk about his son, T.J.

Barbieri and his sons Stephen, Matt, and David painstakingly assembled the bike over nine months as a way to pay tribute to the second oldest Barbieri boy, T.J., who was killed in Iraq in August 2006, at the age of 24.

"When you lose someone, you always want to tell their story," Barbieri said. "When people see the bike, they start asking questions and I get to tell them about T.J."

More Abuse of Military Families

It was a nasty evil thing to do back during the Vietnam war. People would call families claiming to be the military and tell their son had been killed and the family would later find it was a lie. Mental and emotional abuse and torture of the worse kind. Well what once was old is new again... but still just as evil and heartless. Only this time the media is being compliant.

Calls are being made to families and the words no family with a soldier wants to hear are uttered " We regret to inform you"... Only to find out their soldier is alive and well. It's done to break morale and inflict injury on the families. Not only that but on our troops also. Now instead of our soldiers being able to completely focus on their mission they have the burden of worrying about something like this happening to their loved ones who are suppose to be safe at home.

Warrior Ethos Perpetuated With Family Program

'Virtual Installations' May Be Key to Gold Star Outreach

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by Donna Miles

09.14.2009 ROCHESTER, N.Y., - Army Strong Community Centers like the one that officially opened here over the weekend are dedicated to serving families who live far from the closest military base.

But they also can help the Army in its efforts to stay in touch with and provide better support for Gold Star families -- those who have lost loved ones in combat.

That's the conclusion Army Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said he made before the, Sept. 12, ribbon-cutting ceremony here, when he met with the parents of three local service members killed in Iraq.

Stultz acknowledged the families' sacrifice during his official remarks at the ceremony, calling the new "virtual installation" here a way for

Let's Hear it for the Freedom of our Press

We are all for free speech in this country!  It is a right of ours, correct?  But I wonder just how that right of free speech translates into the Freedom of our Press when they are working in another country?  Do they have the right to demand this freedom in a war-torn country?

Apparantly they do!  Now I have been chastized before by a few of my military friends for complaining about the free speech aspect of our press.  They remind me that we can't have that freedom only applying to certain segments of our society.  It would no longer be "free speech" then.

They also reminded me that

Honoring Marine LCpl Joshua M. Bernard

There has been a tremendous amount of outrage being expressed (and rightly so) over the past several days in the press regarding what I shall call "the photo" of a Marine, LCpl Joshua M. Bernard.

As a Mom, I was crushed to read about and see "the photo."  As the days passed, I noticed that very little was being said about who the man name Joshua M. Bernard was!

I can't begin to understand the anguish that LCpl Bernard's parents are going through with the loss of their son, his sister with the loss of her brother.  I can only say this, if it were my son who had died I would want him to be remembered for kind of person he was and for what he had done with his life.

I respectfully offer to you the following peek into who LCpl Joshua M. Bernard is:

Marine Drill Instructor Sounds Off

I had a special request from a Marine Drill Instructor.  He wished to express his feelings through our site regarding "the picture" of LCpl Joshua M. Bernard.  "The picture" has a much greater impact than I first realized.  Listen to what a fellow Marine has to say......

"If you do anything up about the picture in the future could you express for me my extreme outrage and disgust that the Associated Press could be so heartless as to publish that picture.

I only hope that I never stumble into seeing it as it will be extremely painful to see him like that. I do not understand why they did not respect his parents' wishes.

This is unprofessional of them to do that.

That picture will forever remind the Marines that were there, and torture them, of this horrible incident. When that image is thrown in front of their face they will picture that moment and it saddens me that the AP care so little for us to just put these tragedies on display.

My heart goes out to his family.

Thank you again."

Dee Mills: Gold Star Mother, Troop Supporter, Energizer Hall of Famer!

When my recommendation for the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame didn't appear in the semi-finalists, I was a bit disappointed, but figured I should have provided better contact information.  When I looked at the finalists, I saw a hands down favorite from my point of view: Dee Mills!  Fortunately enough other internet voters agreed and she has been selected to be entered into the Hall of Fame.

She recently held a benefit in Tampa Bay, FL for her Non-Profit to raise funds for "Lea's Prayers & Postage."  To contact her or to donate to her efforts: Lea’s Prayers and Postage -PO Box 9000 *Masaryktown, Fl 34604  *352-428-8564 

Her motto is: "Once a Marine Mom, always a Marine Mom!"  Her Marine son paid the ultimate price for freedom, but she won't allow that to stop her Support of Our Troops.

Something Good from the AP's blood money decision

By know you have heard of the AP's decision to publish a photo of a Marine in his dying moments in Afghanistan. This decision came despite the fact that Lcpl Bernard's family practically begged the AP not to publish this photo. This decision also came over the objection of the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who wrote a letter to the AP asking that they not release the photo. For more on those involved in the final decision to publish, please see War On Terror's article on this page.

I personally have not seen the photo in question, nor do I have any desire to. I believe it to be an intrusion of the worst kind into what should have been a private moment. So what good can come from this? This is only my opinion, but this is what I believe and how I would view the photo. For those of you who have seen the picture or wish to, please keep this in mind.

While Lcpl Bernard may have been thousands of miles removed from his blood relatives, make no mistake that he died surround by family. He was close to family as his life ran out on some dirty patch of ground in some dirty country. A sacrifice made for people who think of his as a dirty job in a dirty war. He was surround by and comforted by people who loved him and will mourn his passing just as much as those who are blood relatives. They held his hand, tried to make him comfortable, and let him know he was not alone at the most terrifying moment of his all too short life. They did not love him because he was born into their family. They loved him because he chose to be a part their family. He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself, and that is why he  stood on a pair of yellow footprints in the dark at Parris Island. That is why he put himself through the hell known as Marine Corps boot camp. He wanted to EARN the title Marine. And when he walked across that grinder on graduation day, earn it he did. And in doing so he joined a family of Brothers and Sisters who know that someday they may have to answer the call. They may be asked to go in harms way, and they may die. And still they go, every day. 

So if you must view the photo, or are trying to make sense of it, look at that way. A young man, surrounded by people who love him, making a sacrifice for people he didn't know, and many of whom don't care. Lcpl Bernard, like all those who have answered the call and made the ultimate sacrifice, are better than those who they protect.

"Greater love hath no man that he lay down his life for his friends"

God Speed "Bernie" SEMPER FI!

RIP

Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer today. Michael Jackson also lost his life. My heart goes out to the families of these two celebrities. It truly does. But as I sit here watching the non-stop coverage of their deaths I have to wonder how many people who have their facebook, myspace and twitter status set to RIP to these two people can name just one Fallen soldier who fought to ensure their freedom to have the careers they had. Or for that matter one living soldier.

Chance Phelps Family Donates $10,000

Chance Phelps Foundation Donates $10,000 to ‘Hope for the Warriors’

By Sharon Foster American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2009 – A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie “Taking Chance” has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families. Hope for the Warriors, a national nonprofit group, received the donation from the Chance Phelps Foundation during Fleet Week activities in New York on May 22. Gretchen Mack, mother of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Chance R. Phelps and founder of the Chance Phelps foundation, said her family decided to make the donation based on what they experienced last year in New York at a Hope for the Warriors event that included wounded warriors involved in

Gold Star Conversations

Just talk to me....

I was asked to write an article on how to interact with Gold Star families. My first thought was just talk to them! So often people are so afraid to say the wrong thing or have no idea what to say they say nothing at all. That hurts worse than the poorly worded phrases we have heard repeatedly.

In the Beginning:

When Micheal was killed one thing I heard too much of was how strong I was. In that moment I was so numb that I could not respond to anything. It truly wasn't strength but numbness. later knowing I was expected to be strong made it very hard for me to take my moment in time to openly and truly grieve for Micheal. my younger children were told to be strong for us. Which was unfair to them. they had lost their hero and big brother. they did not need to be strong they needed to grieve and hurt too.

It was like being in a foreign country in a fog with no map or language dictionary. I had no idea how to

In Perspective: Bringing a Missing Brother Home

[Editor's Note: For 17 years, LTC Buck wore the MIA bracelet of LTC Mason.  He presented it to Mrs. Mason when he brought home and laid to rest his brother.  We are honored to be allowed to share his story.]

by LTC Brian Buck,
©2010 Uncle Buck, all rights reserved.  

As a member of the military, I realize that there are times where I may be called upon to lay down my life for the defense of my country, to defend the constitution against all enemies. Some people can't understand this call to duty, they're lost in a world where these are foreign concepts best left for books or TV. This however, has always been a realization for me from the day I signed on, to the days I spent in Sarajevo as part of SFOR, through the year I spent in downtown Baghdad with MNF-I. But all that time I had a reminder with me that it's a price others have been willing to pay for my freedom and it's a duty I owe to everyone else.

That reminder was in the form of a POW/MIA bracelet commemorating Colonel William Henderson Mason. A small strip of aluminum engraved with his name and date of loss in the Vietnam war, May 22nd 1968. On that night then Lt Col Mason and the other 8 members of his crew lifted off in a C-130 under the callsign of BLIND BAT 01. They were bound for a point of the Ho Chi Minh trail that extended into southern Laos to drop illumination flares so that other aircraft in the area could see the enemy illuminated and drop ordinance on them. It was a dangerous mission...that night they did not return. Their C-130 was lost to AAA fire over the jungle near the border of Laos and Vietnam. Search missions found no trace of their aircraft the next day. The crew of BLIND BAT 01 were listed as Missing in Action.

 

All of this hapened a year and a few days before I was even born. I never really knew of, much less understood, the level of sacrifice these men and others made for me. It wasn't until my time in the Air Force ROTC program at Southeast Missouri State that I really started to appreciate the gravity of what could happen in my chosen line of work. In the Fall of 1990 my girlfriend at the time, who later I had the great fortune of marrying, and I purchased POW/MIA bracelets as a fundraiser for the Arnold Air Society. I randomly pulled SSG Russel Bott from the bucket, but she being more meticulous searched the bin and found one with the last name of Mason, with her father being in the Masonic Lodge it didn't take too long for her to make her choice.