Memorial for Kenneth Worley

January 03, 2009

military tribute to kenneth worley medal of honor

Memorial for fallen soldier

No money raised for Marine’s remembrance

Dad was just shown this article about our Medal of Honor Hero Kenneth Worley written by Steve Lynn with The Daily Times in Farmington NM.  This story highlights the long time efforts of our close friend Bruce Salisbury.

Bruce Salisbury wants people to remember Marine Lance Cpl. Kenneth Lee Worley.  Salisbury, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, wears a button with a photo of Worley on his shirt collar. "He’s one of my heroes," Salisbury said.

The city lacks a memorial for Worley, who gave his life for fellow soldiers and earned the Medal of Honor.  That has Salisbury, of Aztec, pushing the city to announce it has dedicated land for a memorial to Worley on March 25, or National Medal of Honor Day.

Marine Corps League and city officials say a memorial will be built, but they have not established a timeline. Details of plans to build one are sketchy six months after those officials learned about him and four decades after Worley died.  Worley’s family and Marines that served with him have waited too long, Salisbury said.  "That’s a long time for them to wait to have him recognized and more than just having his name on a rock," he said.

Worley died Aug. 12, 1968, at age 20, when he threw himself on a grenade nearest him and his comrades, according to his medal’s citation. His body absorbed the force of the explosion so his five comrades sustained only minor wounds.  "Through his extraordinary initiative and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from serious injury and possible loss of life," the citation says.

Salisbury hopes donations will fund a bronze memorial statue of Worley in his military uniform, looking at a boy in the Young Marines.  The local Marine Corps League has other plans. The league wants a large rock placed at the entrance of All Veterans Memorial Park with a plaque naming Worley as a Medal of Honor recipient, said Bill Wells, commandant for the league in Aztec.  The league has neither set a deadline, nor has it raised any money, though it is seeking private donations and state funding for the memorial, Wells said. The league does not have final design plans yet.  "We’re on top of it," Wells said. "We’re doing this (as) fast as we can but it seems like we get a few interruptions every once in a while and sometimes the wheels of progress turn slowly."

Kenneth Worley’s achievement

Worley’s grave in Westminster, Calif., is marked with a bronze plaque saying he achieved the award. A plaque in Edmonds, Wash., town hall also lists him, though he never lived there; his foster parents did. Worley’s name is engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Farmington.

The machine gunner and rifleman is one of 293 Marines and more than 3,400 service members to receive the medal since it was established during the Civil War.

Born in Farmington on April 27, 1948, Worley is the only Marine born in New Mexico to earn the award, said Terence W. Barrett, a psychologist and instructor at North Dakota State University who has written an unpublished book about Medal of Honor recipients.  Barrett researched Worley and 180 other Medal of Honor recipients as part of a study on bravery. There are a "multitude" of hospitals, airports, parks, streets, schools, highways, bridges, playgrounds, scholarships and others named for the recipients, Barrett said. The U.S. Navy alone has named 55 ships after award recipients whom Barrett studied.  Some World War II recipients had ships named for them before that war ended. Other recipients have had to wait much longer, some 20 to 60 years, as the military investigated their actions to determine whether to give an award and then for sponsorship of a memorial.

"The tribute in Farmington to Kenneth Worley coming 40 years after his actions is not entirely unusual," Barrett said.  The city, Marine Corps League and others should take responsibility for getting the memorial built, he said.

Mayor Bill Standley said the Marine Corps League must take the lead in building it.  "The city’s role is to assist them in any way that we can in accomplishing the completion of the memorial," said Standley, a member of the league.  The city has agreed to a "possible" site off Tucker Avenue, the entrance to All Veterans Memorial Park. Standley said fund-raising events could set up an account with the city so that people may make tax-deductible donations.  "Worley is a Marine Corps brother and I want to see it happen," he said.
 

A Work in progress

Salisbury values that Farmington has a Medal of Honor recipient.  "You could go to a lot of towns in America and ask them how many Medal of Honor recipients are born in their town or city and they would say, none,’" he said.  He hopes that city officials and others will take steps — for instance, by announcing plans on National Medal of Honor Day — to get a memorial built at some point.  "It’s a work in progress like every memorial," he said.

Anyone who would like to donate to the memorial of Medal of Honor recipient Lance Cpl. Kenneth Lee Worley may call Bill Wells at (505) 801-6104 or (505) 324-8155.

Steve Lynn: slynn@daily-times.com

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Merry Christmas to Our Troops

December 25, 2008

American Valor Salutes Our Military

American Valor Salutes Our Military


Merry Christmas to Our Troops

We picked three videos for their outstanding military tributes to our troops on deployment.

This Christmas day we wish you the best of all worlds.  We hope for your safe and timely return home to your families.

Most of all we thank you for protecting us and all that our country stands for.  Without you and the sacrifices each and everyone of you makes on a daily basis, not only would we not be free,…we would not be here.

Thank you with all my heart and soul for everything you stand for.  We love you, respect you and thank you.

And lest anyone forgets…we need you!  Thank you and God bless!

 

 

 

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Merry Christmas to Our Troops

December 24, 2008

American Valor Salutes Our Military

American Valor Salutes Our Military


Merry Christmas to Our Troops

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you serving in the military now, or at any time in the past. Your sacrifices have made it possible for people like me to enjoy a long and prosperous life.

I served in the US Army from 1968 to 1977 during what was quietly referred to as the Second US Civil War.  Publicly, in the media, it was a war between the short-haired soldiers and the long-haired students, ‘Hippies".  Most, not all, of the young people organized in the protest groups were still in college and had never served their country.  Their college professors were teaching them to think for themselves and not swallow the drivel of the "Establishment".  They learned well.

They knew it was morally wrong to take a life and God knows the media splashed plenty ‘life-taking’ scenes across the magazines, and newspapers and televisions to cause the whole nation to cower in disgust. They were taught that American soldiers were messengers of death, instruments of war, mercenaries and worst of all…baby killers.  They never seemed to understand the connection between war and freedom.  The connection between military decisions and politics.  The connection between love of country and hatred of aggression.  The connection between love of freedom and hatred of oppression.  The connection between freedom and the price you must pay to maintain it.

Afghanistan.  Iraq. 9/11. Twin towers. Terrorism. Genocide. Dictatorship. Oppression.  Do you have a feel for any of it?

Laugh and ridicule the garbage man or the honey dipper for their smelly jobs but try to survive any length of time without them.

Presidential campaign 2008.  Do you remember any of the mudslinging that took place then.  Some was pretty nasty.  You may have even had a few words to spout yourself about people who didn’t agree with your viewpoint.  I know I sure did.  Do you know how many countries you could live in around the world where you would have been tortured and/or shot for those opinions. 
Where the opposition party would have been secretly eliminated, maybe while they slept?  The number is staggering.

The Eagle is stilly mourning the losses of 9/11.  But as ferocious and monumental as that attack was, it was a first for us.  The first time we were attacked at home.  People of other countries live with this on a recurring daily basis, and probably will until the end of time.

Do you remember the passage "…and there will be wars and rumors of wars…"

It is OK to hate death. It is OK to disagree with what is going on in Afghanistan and Irag. People want to show their ignorance and belittle what our troops are doing over their by tying it into the greed of the oil companies and big business.  For those of you who feel that way I feel sorry for you and your ill-informed ignorance.  If you don’t like what you see, then change it at the voting booth.  Don’t run your mouth blabbing obscenities and bull mush in front of a TV camera when some ratings seeking moron hold a microphone up to you and asks you "What do you think of the horrible atrocities in Iraq?"

Do you have any idea who really sees and hears that venom?  Our troops. If you are sitting in a bunker or a foxhole or behind an adobe wall with rounds flying over your head.  With mortars exploding all around you.  With your buddy lying beside you with part of his chest missing and gurgling as the blood works it’s way out of his throat and he stares into eternity. You are clasping your hand over your pocket where your small bible resides.  Where the picture of your loved ones is protected.  Where you are proud to be serving to protect and defend.  Then you hear a dispatch from some US politician seeking to gain popular votes by calling you a baby-killer.  Or you read the story of some young person screaming obscenities because "innocent" civilians were killed you a recent attack. 
Your life is on the line to protect these very people and they are trying to destroy you.  I’ll tell you how you feel.  Like crap. Disgusted. Wounded.  But most of all, betrayed and hurt, painfully and deeply.

People.  Wake up. Put down your Wii controllers for a moment.  Stop cursing because you were the last in a long line of shoppers to miss out on getting your own High Def 99" Liquid Plasma, flat screen TV with Blue Ray.  Wake up and smell the roses.

We have become fat and obnoxious.  We have become a lazy people.  Too lazy to see the truth.  Too self concentrated to see anything but "ME". and "NOW",

As the saying goes:

If you can read…thank a teacher.  If you can read in English…thank a soldier.

I can run and scream and cry and shout and curse and jump and complain and learn and disagree all because I am free.  I am free ONLY BECAUSE of the men and women serving so proudly and selflessly in the military.  The ones who put their lives on the line every moment of every day to pay for my freedom and your freedom and the freedom of our country.

Stop focusing on everyone’s differences. Get over it.  We are getting ready to enter a new time in our history in one of the most devastating financial times we have ever known.  And who did we, as an American public elect?  An American man!  Now he does just happen to be black, but he is an American.  He is not an African-American or a German-American or a Cuban-American. Praise be to God he is an American.  Maybe now we can put slavery and the civil war to rest.  I am sick and tired of all the Hispanic translation signs in the stores today.  Get over it.  You are in America.  Good grief people, I am part Cherokee,  where are my signs? Where are the signs for all the other foreign ingredients that contribute to our culture?  Get over it! 
We are not a "tossed salad", we are a "Melting Pot" of cultures.  Every culture of every person who comes to American adds to the richness of our heritage, it doesn’t give them the right to segregate it and hold it up and get special treatment.  And that is the glory of freedom.  I can call any left-winged liberal who wants to break America down into separate isolated segments a blooming idiot.  If you aren’t representing the people as a whole, get out of office.  You have no right to be in office and spearhead special interests.

OK folks.  Dad has had his say.  Keep checking back and you will see that I spout off every now and then.  But more important is the fact that I am free to do so. You don’t have to agree with me, nor I you.  You have the right to disagree with me, but you will never have the right to gag me.  That is the glory and the beauty of freedom.

Now put the self centeredness and the hatred and the politics and the hurt and the pain and the tears behind you.  Get down on bended knee and give thanks for our freedom and for the men and women who are willing to risk their lives for our freedom.  Let us remember those in the military and the separation they are enduing at this time of year.  Say a special prayer of thanks for them.  Take a moment out of your busy schedules and share some kindness with their families here at home.  Lend a helping hand.  Volunteer some time.  Share your gifts.  Share your love and gratitude.  Show your appreciation.

We are all Americans, through and through and proud of it!

Wow!  All I wanted to do was give a patriotic thank you to our troops away from home for the holidays!  I just wanted to pledge my eternal support and gratitude to them for their sacrifice.  If I have offended everyone in America, but gotten my message through, then it was all worth it.

Thank you!  Merry Christmas to all of you!  May God keep you and bless you abundantly in the year to come!

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Tribute to a Young Soldier

December 24, 2008

military tribute to a young soldier by susan campbell

Military Tribute to a Young Soldier

How do you mark a life cut short?

The following article was published in the Hartford Courant on December 14 and written by Staff writer Susan Campbell.

You can read her full story here If you enjoy her message, you can read her blog here If you really are moved by her story you can contact her here.

"For the Mariano family, led by Jean Mariano, you take the memory of her son Jason D. Lewis — age 30 when he and two other sailors were killed by a makeshift Baghdad bomb in the summer of 2007 — and you host a fishing derby in his name.

And then you donate the proceeds to other military families.

You stand proud at the national anthem, because Jason died doing what he wanted — fighting as a U.S. Navy Seal. You attend every ceremony where your son’s name is inscribed on a wall. You get to know other military families who’ve lost someone, and you talk about your membership in this club no one wants to join.

But your grief is private, too. On the first birthday after his death, you bake his favorite cake (pistachio) and head to the cemetery with some chairs, which you set up at his grave. Throughout the day, members of your big, unruly family come by, and you serve that cake. Yes, it’s odd, eating among the gravestones, but not so odd as a world without Jason.

You think of his three children — Jack, now 5; Max, 4; and Grace, 2 — and you create a memory book full of photos that confound his sons because they look so much like their father when he was a boy. And your throat catches at the photo of baby Grace reaching for her father’s face.

On the first Veterans Day after his death, you go with your son’s widow and your grandchildren to Disney World — where the family had planned to go before Jason died. You do that because the kids have been excited about this trip, and life must go on. You bring along as much family as you can. Though it’s surreal, you do the Magic Kingdom up right, because Jason — a happy baby, a laughing boy, a smiling man — would have done precisely that. And while the kids are exploring the rides, you watch a beautiful monarch butterfly float over a small patch of grass, and you think, "Jason’s here."

And this past summer, a year after his death — it feels wrong to call it an "anniversary" because "anniversary" sounds happy — you head back to the cemetery and do the whole meet-and-greet again, minus the cake. And on Monday of this past week, you drive to Hartford with friends and family from New Milford and Brookfield to lay a wreath at the Capitol as part of Wreaths Across America. And before you speak, you fluff the flags of the different military branches attached to the wreath because you want things to look just right.

And then you stand next to the governor — she’s from Brookfield, too — and you read a speech about service and sacrifice. And the governor, who spoke at Jason’s funeral, talks about feeling grateful for people like your son — and like Sgt. Joseph M. Nolan, a Waterbury native who died in Fallujah on Nov. 18, 2004. His father stands nearby, with family members.

When the unthinkable happened, Jean told herself that at least her son was doing what he wanted to do. How many people can say that? His grandmother Frances Mariano still talks about how blessed she was to have Jason and her other grandchildren grow up around her and gather around a table loaded with spaghetti and chicken.

And Jason’s aunt Janet Mariano has his laminated photo attached to her car, with a quote that starts: "We all sleep safe in our beds because there are rough men who stand ready in the night." She still sometimes cries if someone asks her about Jason, and she hates that she cries.

Oh, yes. You do that, too. On some days, you cry for that life cut short because that is all you can manage to do. You cry."
 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Bruce Salisbury - Honor to the Heroes

December 21, 2008

Bruce Salisbury - Military Tribute

BRUCE SALISBURY - Brings Honor to Our Heroes

Bruce Lee Salisbury has a reputation for being stubborn. He first demonstrated that in 1945 at the age of 15 when he joined the service after his mother refused to allow him to play football in high school. He retired from the Air Force as a master sergeant in 1966.

Since he had not finished high school, Bruce started college studies at the San Juan Branch in Farmington, along with his wife Dorothy. They had three children in school; each had a job and a burning desire to finish their educations. Dottie and Bruce graduated in 1979. His degree was through the College of Arts and Sciences; hers, the College of Agriculture and Home Economics.

In 1998, a diagnosis of lung cancer forced him to stop working. During his extended rehab process, he began working on the project to memorialize friends and family members either killed or gone missing while fighting for America. His goal: designate a mountain peak as Mount KIA/MIA that could become a place where families and friends journey to remember lost loved ones.

When Bruce started his quest, he attempted to have one of 33 mountains (within Colorado) with the name Sheep Mountain, renamed, but met with resistance. So, he looked for a suitable peak that was without a designated name figuring there would be no real reason for refusal. He was right; there was no real reason for refusal, but plenty of resistance just the same. One of the biggest objections to overcome was presented by the Bureau of Land Management in July of 2005. They voiced concern about naming a feature with a U.S. Military commemorative subject matter, in the midst of many features commemoratively named after Native Americans. Andrew Cowell, a linguist who specializes in Native American languages, stated that the name "KIAMIA" could be construed and possibly misrepresented as a garbled Ute name.

Not one willing to accept ‘No’ for an answer, Bruce contacted Thomas Givon, Distinguished Professor (emeritus) of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Oregon, who had worked for the Southern Ute Tribe for 10 years as the founding director of the Ute Language Program. That language is complex but it was Givon’s opinion that Kiya-miya-vat is a rather appropriate name for a mountain that would honor Ute, and all veterans.

A warrior, once departed, crosses to "the other side," a place often described as one where a person may walk about in peace, without care, happy; in other words, " a place where people walk about laughing." Final approval came first from the Bureau of Land Management in 2005 and the US Forest Service in 2006. Mt. KIA/MIA is an 11,282 ft summit in the Sawatch Range in north-central Saguache County, CO, close to Marshall Pass, from which one can see the mountain close-up.

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Kenneth Lee Worley MOH

December 20, 2008

military tribute for american valor kenneth lee worley

Military Tribute to Kenneth Lee Worley

This is an ongoing Military Tribute to Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Lee Worley. It is spearheaded by a veteran who has become a good friend in the cause…Bruce Salisbury.
Bruce has been working non-stop night and day since I first met him earlier this year on the memory of Kenneth Lee Worley. If you are an artist, a sculptor or know someone who is, please have them contact Bruce at the email or telephone number below.

This is the next stage in the project. I hope one day to bring it all together and be able to tell you the COMPLETE story of our young hero Kenneth Lee Worley.

Dad offers a strong American Valor Military Tribute to Bruce Salisbury for his untiring efforts to bring well deserved attention to a young man who gave his all for our country that others may live.

Kenneth Lee Worley
Memorial Concept

A memorial Bronze to honor Lance Corporal Kenneth Lee Worley, USMC, CMOH.
 
I would like to see a bronze of Kenneth Lee Worley shown standing easy in his combat gear and alongside him a bronze of one of the Young Marines who are dedicated to Worley’s honor. The young man, age 8 or 9 to be looking up at and saluting his hero.
 
Conceptually, the Young Marine will represent Worley when he was young and dreaming of growing up. It will represent Worley harking back to his own childhood, as well as the son that Worley never met and young people all over America who look up to the ideal of heroism.
 
I don’t think Worley should be presented in Dress Uniform or wearing medals or devices other than his rifle and gear and the working tools of a Marine Corps Lance Corporal in Vietnam in 1968.
 
I would like to ask any artist who might like to attempt sketching their vision of this memorial concept to contact me and let me share what they see and feel. While I cannot offer to pay you for your effort, I will let people know who was the sketch artist in every case.
 
 
Contact me at:
 
Bruce L Salisbury
PO Box 744
Aztec,NM 87410
 
505.334.2398
 
bsalisbury@acrnet.com

"Military Tribute to Medal of Honor Recipient Kenneth Lee Worley"

(2) Comments) | Add Comment

Daughters Military Tribute

December 15, 2008

I received this from my oldest daughter today along with the short message:

"Dad,

Sorry, but it’ll probably make you cry!

Love You!!!"

She was right.  It did.  I in turn am sending this on to all of you out there.  I know there are many millions of you who will find that either now or at some time in the past you have been where this little girl is.  I just pray that then or now, you are blessed with the same strength and wisdom and love this little girl has for her dad.

I ask only that after you read this, you would take a brief, quiet moment.  Wipe the tear from your eye, and ask God to watch over and keep all of our troops safe and well this Christmas season and return them home to us as soon as possible.  Thank you and Merry Christmas!  …Dad

Dad’s Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail,
her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy’s Day at school,
and she couldn’t wait to go.
 
But her mommy tried to tell her,
that she probably should stay home
Why the kids might not understand,
if she went to school alone.
 
But she was not afraid;
she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
of why he wasn’t there today.
 
But still her mother worried,
for her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
she tried to keep her daughter home..
 
But the little girl went to school
eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees
a dad who never calls.
 
 There were daddies along the wall in back,
for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
anxious in their seats
 
One by one the teacher called
a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
as seconds slowly passed.
 
At last the teacher called her name,
every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
a man who wasn’t there.
 
‘Where’s her daddy at?’
She heard a boy call out.
‘She probably doesn’t have one,’
another student dared to shout.
 
And from somewhere near the back,
she heard a daddy say,
‘Looks like another deadbeat dad,
too busy to waste his day.’
 
The words did not offend her,
as she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back,
slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
came words incredibly unique.
 
‘My Daddy couldn’t be here,
because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
since this is such a special day.
 
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
and ho w much he loves me so.
 
He loved to tell me stories
he taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses,
and taught me to fly a kite.
 
We used to share fudge sundaes,
and ice cream in a cone.
An d though you cannot see him.
I’m not standing here alone.
 
‘Cause my daddy’s always with me,
even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
he’ll forever be in my heart’

With that, her little hand reached up,
and lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
beneath her favorite dress.
 
And from somewhere there in the crowd of dads,
her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
who was wise beyond her years.
 
For she stood up for the love
of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
doing what was right.
 
And when she dropped her hand back down,
staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
but its message clear and loud.
 
‘I love my daddy very much,
he’s my shining star.
And if he could, he’d be here,
but heaven’s just too far.
 
You see he is a Marine
and died just this past year
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
and taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it’s like he never went away.’
< /div>
And then she closed her eyes,
and saw him there that day.
 
And to her mother’s amazement,
she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children,
all starting to close their eyes.
 
Who knows what they saw before them,
who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
they saw him at her side.
 
‘I know you’re with me Daddy,’
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.
 
Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
 
And a child was blessed, if only for a moment,
by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.
 
They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them,
but then an entire life to forget them.
 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Pearl Harbor Day

December 07, 2008

Pearl Harbor Day

Today is the 67th anniversary of the Japanese navy’s horrible bombing of our U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor. Many people still shudder when they recall the "attacks that struck too close to home".

What a horrific day, one that " will live in infamy"

Looking at a correlation with today…

…a really bad economy

…millions unemployed

…fear of further attacks at home

…secure employment in the military

Such an eerie part of our history and it still shrouds us in intrigue and dark remembrances. Make no mistake about it, the main similarity between then and now…

…men and women of all origins and beliefs enlisting in the US military to protect our country from enemies, both foreign and domestic.

American Valor lifts a half-mast flag today in remembrance of the horrible day when so many of our family members and friends lost their lives in service to our country.

May God keep and bless those that went before us and may He strengthen those of us who remain to carry on the fight.

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Pearl Harbor Military Tribute

December 05, 2008

Tribute to Pearl Harbor Survivors

The military has a saying, "salute the rank, not the man." But Ronnie Everitt and Newton Brooks, walking down a corridor of raised hands, haven’t worn rank in a long time.

Outside the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, Arnold High School’s Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps salute the men - two of Bay County’s few remaining veterans of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.

Dec. 7, 2008, will mark 67 years since the attack and the United States’ entry into World War II. The sneak attack was the opening movement to four years of war; at the end of the three- hour battle almost 2,500 people had been killed and half that number wounded.

But as the era of the last true global conflict drifts further into the past, those who witnessed it must drift, too.

At one point, a Bay County lunch for Pearl Harbor survivors could draw nearly 30 people. With the Oct. 17 death of Burl Smith, the number is down to three.

"They’re coming on down," Everitt said. "But I plan to stay in there for the next 10 years so I can be 100. Once I get to 100 then I’ll be smiling and ready to go."

You can read the rest of the story here in the Panama City News Herald

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

A Military Tribute to Veterans

December 04, 2008

A Military Tribute to Veterans

KFYR-TV, Bismarck, ND’s first television station provided this military tribute to their veterans.
You can read the full story at their site

It`s only fitting that the new bridge, which is in honor of veterans, was dedicated on Veterans Day.

Members of the military say the bridge inspired by Veterans of World War I, will create a place for all veterans and those currently enlisted to reflect on their service.

Ferdinand Luger, or "Red" to those who know him, served with the Army in World War II in 1942. He says he remembers well his time in combat in Africa and Italy and being at the bridge dedication brings back some of those memories.

"The Germans would stay in the monastery and fire at the infantry," Luger says.

The new bridge is inspired by veterans like "Red." On the west end of the bridge eleven spires symbolize the Armistice, which is the peace agreement reached at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of 1918 to end World War I.

"People will be able to come and reflect and recognize that people fight for our freedom and put their lives on the line and North Dakotans do that so well," says Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, of the ND National Guard.

In addition to the spires, five overlooks on the south side of the bridge each represent and recognize the service branches of the United States Military… Army, Marine Corp., Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The old Memorial Bridge which opened in 1922 was also dedicated to Veterans of World War I. It was meant to be a symbol of something that would stand forever after a turbulent time in history. Red says it`s an honor for the bridge to be dedicated to him and the men who served beside him.

"It makes me feel good. It`s a beautiful bridge," Luger says. "I knew the old one for a long time."

And this bridge dedication will be another memory "Red" will hold on to for the rest of his life.

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Happy Holidays Light Shows

December 03, 2008

Happy Holidays Light Shows

To get you in the Christmas Spirit we provide these fantastic videos.  Enjoy in the spirit in which they were intended.

I love Christmas lights and the Christmas spirit!  Happy Holidays!

This entry is dedicated to all the men and women serving in the military at home and abroad.  Whether you are able to share the holidays at home with your loved ones or at a distance from overseas, Dad just wants you to know this:

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a safe return home.  Thank you for all that you have sacrificed for us.  Thank You!

Amazing Grace in Lights

 

Trans Siberian Orchestra Light Show

 

If you have any holiday music or light show videos to share with us please send them to us at Dad@American-Valor.com.

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

My Hero Military Tribute

December 02, 2008

My Hero

Kim Cameron My Hero military tribute

American Valor today spotlights another patriotic American known for supporting our military.  Today’s patriotic American spent the last decade working up the corporate ladder, but had that empty feeling, like something was seriously missing in life. 

A family tragedy in 2007 led to a total re-evaluation of life and personal goals.  The decision was made at that moment to break free from the corporate cage and pursue a lifelong passion for music. 

Our proud American recently experienced a moving encounter on a flight where she met a seasoned soldier returning from Iraq.  His commitment and honesty moved her deeply and reminded her that we can all make a difference, no matter how small we think it may be.  That brief encounter eventually inspired her to write a song. 

Released on Veteran’s Day, 2008,  her song “My Hero” is a moving tribute to our nation’s armed forces.  “Men and women who risk their lives deserve our respect and patronage.  I look at these individuals who are working for basically nothing as far as compensation goes - yet they are the most dedicated and mindful people I have met.  They possess a
spirit that I long to be a part of and that never seems to be broken.”

Our special lady is a strong supporter of the US troops.  She attended the recent USO event for Wounded Warriors and the US Navy ball in New York City where she donated her song “My Hero” to the naval officers in USB flash drives.

Today, Dad is proud to introduce you to the attractive and extremely talented lead singer/ songwriter for the popular Washington D.C. hit band SideFX.

She is the amazing Kim Cameron!  Thank you Kim for your support and contribution…for your fantastic military tribute in American Valor style to the men and women serving in the US military around the world. Thank you for all of them!

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Tribute To The Soldiers of India

November 30, 2008

Tribute To The Soldiers of India

Not all terrorism is directed at Americans.  American soldiers around the world understand the pain and suffering brought on by the terrorist slaughter in Mumbai, India this week.

November 26, 2008 will go down as one of the darkest days in the history of Mumbai and India. Life in the country’s financial capital remained paralysed as terrorists held the city under siege. In a heinous terror attack that the country has seen in recent times, Mumbai came under an unprecedented night attack. ( CNN IBN )

According to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, 14 policemen and three NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:
Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare,
Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
Senior inspector Shashank Shinde
NSG Commando, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan
NSG Commando Hawaldar Chandar
NSG Commando Gajendra Singh

Aye mere watan ke logo (O! the people of my motherland! :English), was an Indian patriotic song written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by C. Ramchandra (Chitalkar). It was rendered by Lata Mangeshkar around the end of Sino-Indian War. It was famously performed live, by Lata Mangeshkar in the presence of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Ramlila grounds, in New Delhi on Republic Day, 26th January, 1963, and a copy of the soundtrack spool
was also gifted to Nehru on the occasion.

None of the artists and technicians involved with the song, including singers, musicians, music director, lyricist, recording studio, sound recordist, charged for the song, and later lyricist, Kavi Pradeep, pledged the royalty of the song to the ‘War Widows Fund’
 

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Tribute to You

November 30, 2008

A Military Tribute

 

I just cannot give enough thanks or praise to the men and women of the US military and all that they have done and continue to do for us…for our freedom…and for the freedom of the oppressed people of the world.

Military tribute somehow just doesn’t seem like enough.  How do we fully thank someone who is willing to risk their lives for us.  How can we say thanks to those who have already died to protect us.

All I can say is thank you.  Thank you with all of my heart and soul. Thank you!

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Veteran’s Day Tribute

November 11, 2008

Veterans Day Tribute

Today is a special day to pay tribute to all our veterans. We love them dearly. We respect them with all our might. We are ever grateful for the personal sacrifices they made for us. Please take a moment to say a prayer of thanks for all our veterans and enjoy the videos paying tribute to them.

Happy Veterans Day!

Amazing Grace Veterans Day Tribute



A montage honoring U.S. war veterans from World War 1 to present day. Pictures and clips together with “America the Beautiful,” performed by Lee Greenwood.



We forget that everyday, they are veterans, and too many of them are homeless.

A video trailer of a final piece that will be aired on November 11, 2008. Created by a middle school teacher to be used during an annual Veterans Day Program sponsored by the school each year

This is a commercial that has been airing on Veterans day. It is a very special commercial because they used actual veterans, including myself to do the run. A tight salute to Boeing for this one… Thank you Veterans…. God Bless you all American Valor salutes the veterans of America and offers up to them a full Military Tribute for all time!

Thank you and God Bless!

(1) Comment) | Add Comment

The American Flag

October 27, 2008

American flag

American Flag   

Robin Williams as the American Flag

This dates back a few years…nearly an antique.  I was old enough to know better and young enough not to care about too much serious.

Robin Williams does this short take as the American Flag.  A little humor is always good for the soul, especially clean humor.  Not enough of that any more.

My hat is off to Robin Williams while he makes us laugh.  While he portrays the American Flag he fills us with a deeper message of patriotism and honor.

Enjoy the American flag!

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Veterans Day

October 26, 2008

veterans

Remember Veterans Day

With Veterans Day approaching, Dad wanted to share a site with you that, like American Valor, promotes respect and thanks for our veterans.

 VetFriends.com — the largest Web site for reuniting veterans — has created an online Veterans Day Forum reaching out to U.S. veterans and anyone else interested in contributing their thoughts and insights in regards to our U.S. military personnel and Veterans Day. Personal stories, sentiments and words of thanks can be found online in a Veterans Day collection throughout October and November
at www.vetfriends.com/veteransday. VetFriends.com invites members of the media to visit the forum and utilize the quotes in their Veterans Day news stories.

In addition to the forum, VetFriends.com has posted a U.S. veteran and military tribute video thanking and honoring the many brave men and women who have and are currently serving the nation. The theme of the video: What do U.S. veterans and military mean to VetFriends.com, and moreover to America.

What does Veterans Day mean to you? They welcome you to add your thoughts and comments about Veterans Day, about people who serve or have served in the U.S. Military. Many of these additions will be shared on VetFriends.com and with television stations and newspapers.

Other features available on www.VetFriends.com include: search over 893,000 members to make contact with old friends; information on how to obtain military records and medals; message boards; upload past and present photos; military jokes; search and post reunions; military products and discounts; along with a variety of other features and services.

Founded in 2000 by Marine Corps veteran of Desert Storm, Dale F. Sutcliffe, thousands of people have been reconnected through VetFriends.com, spanning from World War II through to Operation Desert Storm and the present.

For further information and/or interview opportunities please contact Maynard Anderson at (843) 856-2867 or via e-mail at: publicrelations @ vetfriends.com.

 

(1) Comment) | Add Comment

Operation Uplink

October 23, 2008

Operation Uplink

Help a Hero Call Home This Holiday Season

Sport Clips Across the Country Partner with VFW’s Operation Uplink To Sponsor Service Men and Women’s Holiday Phone Calls

This from the Wall Street Journal Market Watch News page:

Beginning October 19, Sport Clips locations across the country will once again offer clients the opportunity to help soldiers call home this holiday season. Last year’s efforts raised $90,000, enough for 800,000 minutes of talk time December 25 for members of our nation’s military. This year’s effort will culminate with what the company is calling "The Biggest Haircut Day of the Year," a National Cut-a-Thon on Veterans’ Day, Tuesday, November 11, when $1 from every haircut service will be donated to Operation Uplink.

Operation Uplink is a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) program that keeps military personnel and hospitalized veterans in touch with their families and loved ones.

"Our goal this year is to raise $100,000 throughout the Sport Clips system. We’ve set our sights high in order to increase the time our military men and women will be able to talk with those they’re missing back home during the Holidays and the rest of their time overseas. From my overseas tours in the Air Force, I know how important it is to hear the voices of loved ones when you are away from home for months at a time," says Gordon Logan, a Lifetime Member of the VFW and the Sport Clips Founder and CEO. "Last year, our Team Members and Clients across the country raised enough money to purchase VFW Operation Uplink phone cards and internet talk time to connect military families for 800,000 minutes. We are proud that Sport Clips and our Clients were able to make this statement of support and appreciation of our military heroes and their families."

For more information about Sport Clips and how to make a donation to Operation Uplink, visit SportClips.com.

About Sport Clips

Sport Clips was established in 1995 by Gordon Logan, Founder and CEO. Sport Clips is associate sponsor of the #7 GEICO NASCAR Nationwide Series car driven by Mike Wallace; the "Official Haircutter" of several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL). It is the "Official Haircutter" of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and offers preferential pricing to veterans. For more information about Sport Clips, including its almost 600 locations throughout the United States, visit SportClips.com.

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Tribute - Bridge of Honor

October 22, 2008

Bridge of honor

MEMORIAL BRIDGE PAYS TRIBUTE TO DECEASED

The Observer, in Dunkirk, New York offered this military tribute article today:

Despite the bitter cold, many people joined members from the Gowanda VFW and officials from various ranks of government at a bridge dedication ceremony in Gowanda.

The bridge was named "Gowanda Veterans Memorial Bridge" and a large sign proudly depicts this title.

Gowanda Village Trustee Dale DeCarlo introduced State Senator Cathy Young and explained that she helped to make the dedication possible.

"She sponsored us in the Senate and I’d like to thank her for that," he said.

Sen. Young took time to stop and shake hands with all those gathered for the occasion.

"I was very proud to sponsor this legislation in the New York State Senate because I’m very proud of my district and I’m especially proud of my people," she said. "What we’re doing today is just a small token of our appreciation."

She went on to thank veterans and their families for the personal sacrifices they’ve made.

"You’ve always served with honor and we can’t thank you enough."
 

Read the rest of the military tribute Bridge of honor here
 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Tribute - Stephen Fortunato

October 18, 2008

Why I Serve - Stephen Fortunato

It is with deep sadness and tremendous respect that American Valor relays the following blog entry written on Aug. 30, 2008, by Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato, who was killed Tuesday in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was riding in was blown up by an improvised explosive device. This entry was forwarded to the Boston Globe by his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Crawford and shared with us by MilBlogging.com.

If I may …
I’d like to say something….Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that I am a pawn in Bush’s agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.

I am not a robot. I am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." I know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America’s sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.
I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaeda, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. I don’t care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and I don’t care if you don’t think our freedom within America’s borders is actually at stake. I just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America’s power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There’s nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.

I am a proud American. I believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however I want to, and believe me, I have seen what the alternative of that looks like. I also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilege to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else’s country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, and reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admittedly craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.

…One last thing…a proposal. I know it has been stated time and time again but I just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn’t that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That’s right…you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don’t try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privileges such as free speech and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how to handle this god-awful mess in the middle east.
 


(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Support

October 18, 2008

Morris community leaders, Army sign covenant

Pact honors special bond, pledges to back soldiers, their families

American Valor is proud to offer this story that appeared today in the Daily Record in New Jersey. Our nation is coming together to show their gratitude for the self sacrifice so many have made in defense of our freedom.

Morris County community leaders recently joined military representatives from Picatinny Arsenal and the New Jersey National Guard to pledge their support to uniformed personnel and their families by signing the Army Community Covenant.

The covenant recognizes the special bond that exists between area military, their families and the community surrounding Picatinny.

The signing preceded a performance of the U.S. Army Soldier Show before a nearly packed auditorium at Morris Knolls High School in Denville on Oct. 10.

Following brief remarks made by U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Robert J. Maguire and Picatinny Arsenal commanding general Brig. Gen. William N. Phillips, each of the participants walked to a podium and signed the covenant, which was affixed to poster board.

Maguire thanked community leaders for their support of service members and their families during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We are an Army that is stretched too thin," he said, describing the strain that a two-front conflict has put on deployed military and their loved ones back home.

Maguire noted that the Army is engaged in the third-longest war in American history and the longest war ever fought with an all-volunteer force.

More than a million men and women have been deployed into combat, 4,700 have sacrificed their lives and 11,000 have been decorated for valor, including two Medals of Honor, 14 distinguished service crosses and more than 500 silver stars, he said.

"That our soldiers and families so willingly sacrifice to preserve our way of life and to secure a better future for others says much about Army strength. A strength that comes from our values, from our warrior ethos and from our people," Maguire said. "This strength is making a difference in the nation’s fight against global terror, and it is what gives me great confidence that we will prevail in the current fight."

Read the rest of the story here in the Daily Record

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Amazing Military Tribute

October 15, 2008

Amazing Military Tribute

This is an amazing Military Tribute to the men and women soldiers serving in Iraq. The video starts with a firefight in Iraq and goes on to show soldiers, airmen, and others serving, and having fun doing it, all around the world. Turn off the music and listen up!



(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Tribute Honors Fallen Soldier

October 12, 2008

Tribute honors fallen soldier


This fine article comes to us from Pete Wicklund with the Journal TimesMary Jacobs remembers well the day her mother received word that Mary’s brother — Maj. John L. “Jack” Jerstad — was shot down and reported as missing in action in Europe in World War II.

A girl had come to the family home in Racine to deliver a telegraph. After Jacobs’ mother, Alice, read the telegraph, she grabbed at her heart.

Jacobs, then 21 and watching from a distance, at first could not understand why her mother would show such shock. She thought it was just Jack wishing his parents a happy wedding anniversary.

“If I had only realized they weren’t sending those types of telegrams back then,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs, now 86, was in Racine on Saturday with her four children to view the new historical display that pays tribute to Jerstad and Marine Pfc. Harold C. Agerholm at the Racine Veterans Center. Jerstad, 25, a bomber in the Army Air Corps, and Agerholm, 19, who was killed is Saipan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, were both awarded the Medal of Honor for their fateful acts of heroism in the war. Jerstad-Agerholm Elementary and Middle Schools on LaSalle Street are also named for two.

Jacobs brought with her some mementos of her brother’s life to share with the volunteers who are assembling military displays for The Legacy Museum and Veterans Center, a planned expansion at the current veterans center at 820 Main St.

The current display on Jerstad and Agerholm, and another for perished space shuttle astronaut and Horlick High graduate Capt. Laurel Salton Clark, are the first displays for the future Legacy Museum.

Among the cherished items Jacobs brought to share was the encased flag that draped Jerstad’s casket when he was buried at Ardennes Cemetery in Belgium and a bust that Jacobs made of her brother in sculpting class.

Jacobs said she burst into tears when she thought that her sculpting her brother’s likeness might have been a jinx that resulted in his going missing. Her teacher, renowned Danish sculptor Christian Petersen, assured her nothing could be further from the truth. The bust does closely resemble portraits of Jerstad.

What might have tipped fate, some wonder, is that Jerstad was shot down flying a plane nicknamed “Hell’s Wench.” That came after numerous safe missions in a plane nicknamed for Jerstad — “Jerk’s Natural.” Natural referred to the numbers in the plane’s serial number adding up to seven and 11, a natural in a dice game. In fact, a pair of dice were painted on that plane.

It took seven years before the Army called Jacobs’ parents, Art and Alice Jerstad, to let them know remains had been found. The long period of time and countless tributes to Jack Jerstad prolonged the grieving process for the family. Among the tributes was the ceremony at Racine’s Holy Communion Church where the family received Jerstad’s Medal of Honor.

 

Read the rest of the story here…
 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Tribute in Connecticut

October 07, 2008

American Valor Military Tribute in Connecticut

American Valor noticed this story recently in the Connecticut Post online. I believe it is so typical of a growing sentiment of our “great silent majority” that we so often speak of here. These proud folks talk and act in support of building a permanent military tribute to their loved ones, their sons and daughters and friends serving overseas. They speak of them proudly”They dodged bullets, survived bombings, provided security in war zones and treacherous terrain, and helped the rebuilding efforts in strife-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.

To recognize Monroe residents’ service in the wars, two local mothers of servicemen are organizing plans to set up an “honor board” listing the names of the men and women from town who have served in America’s military forces deployed in the conflicts. Meg Krasko and Miriam Zalenski hope the plaque can be in place at Town Hall in time for the Nov. 11 observance of Veteran’s Day. The project is receiving support from soldiers who have returned from the war zones, as well as families whose relatives are now in harm’s way.

“Personally, I’m not a glory fiend, but I’ll try to help out,” Nathan Starr, a sergeant in the National Guard who lives in Monroe, said about the plaque. “I went to Afghanistan in January 2006 and served 15 months. I’ll be going back in 2010 or sooner.”

Starr said he takes pride in how his battalion provided security for construction projects including a hospital, a school, a police station and a road while deployed in Afghanistan.

“We worked well together. We connected like a family,” Starr said. “We didn’t have to fire a round in self defense.”

He remembered in particular helping to protect a crew that was building a school and, after it was complete, watching children attend their first classes.

“I absolutely will support the plaque. It will give the soldiers recognition,” said Cal Crouch, whose son Ian, an Army sergeant, served a 14-month hitch in Iraq and has been in Afghanistan since February, “It will be good for the town to know what its sons and daughters have been doing.”

“My son is coming home on leave for three weeks at the end of this month. We’ve have a Thanksgiving dinner for him in early November before he goes back,” he said.

Crouch said that not long ago he had his son’s name inscribed on a brick used for the war memorial in front of Town Hall.

George King’s son David, an Air Force captain and meteorologist, served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan where his responsibilities included weather briefings for helicopter squadrons.

“The plaque is a good idea,” the senior King said. “My son is a very low-key guy, but I’d be happy to have his name on it.”

Two sons of Henry and Martha Booth are serving in Iraq — Shawn, a specialist fourth class in the Army, and Michael, in a Navy construction unit.

And for the rest of the story by JOEL C. THOMPSON…

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Another Military Tribute

September 28, 2008

Another Military Tribute

I’m tired of hearing about all of the negative things about our military in the media.  The news NEVER highlights the things we’re accomplishing over there and the dedication of our soldiers. This is a tribute to their service. We should recognize their sacrifice and embrace them when they come home after the job is done. This tribute was produced by AmericanBattleCry:
 


(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Military Honor

September 25, 2008

Military Honor

Military honor is something that is hard won and well deserved.  Many countless Americans have given their all, made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend the United States and our freedom.  This video is simply a "Thank You for a Job Well Done"

All our love and thanks to those who serve and a moment of remembrance to those who have gone before us!

                                                                                                                 
…Dad

 


(1) Comment) | Add Comment

There Are No Words

September 19, 2008

Pentagon Memorial Dedication

There Are No Words by Kitty Donohoe

There are no words. There is no song.
There is no balm that can heal these wounds that will last a lifetime long.
And when the stars have burned to dust,
hand in hand we still will stand because we must.

In one single hour, in one single day,
we were changed forever, something taken away.
And there is no fire that can melt this heavy stone,
that can bring back the voices and the spirits of our own.

There are no words. There is no song.
There is no balm that can heal these wounds that will last a lifetime long.
And when the stars have burned to dust,
hand in hand we still will stand because we must.

All the brothers, sisters and lovers, all the friends that are gone,
all the chairs that will be empty in the lives that will go on.
Can we ever forgive, though we never will forget?
Can we believe in the milk of human goodness yet?

There are no words. There is no song.
There is no balm that can heal these wounds that will last a lifetime long.
And when the stars have burned to dust,
hand in hand we still will stand because we must.

We were forged in freedom. We were born in liberty.
We came here to stop the twisted arrows cast by tyranny.
And we wont bow down, we are strong of heart.
We are a chain together that wont be pulled apart.

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

Pentagon Memorial to 9/11

September 19, 2008

pentagon 911 memorial

Pentagon memorial opens to honor 184 dead

By William H. McMichael and Karen Jowers - Staff writers
Posted for the Army-Times: Wednesday Sep 17, 2008


The nation’s first memorial to the 9/11 terrorist attacks was dedicated Thursday during a ceremony at the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed seven years earlier, killing 184 people.

“We gather to dedicate this ground where a great building became a battlefield, where stone became dust, steel became shrapnel, where flames, smoke and destruction stole the lives of 184 men, women and children,” said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one of hundreds of dignitaries in a huge throng of onlookers who gathered on a cool, cloudy morning on the Pentagon’s south side for the official unveiling of the memorial.

“From this time forward, the Pentagon will be more than a symbol of government, more than a seat of military power, said Rumsfeld’s successor, Robert Gates. “It will also be a place of remembrance.”

The memorial, a two-acre field on the Pentagon’s west side, is a place for reflection: a series of 184 steel-and-granite benches, each with its own glowing light pool, set in a gravel field interspersed with paperbark maple trees, all aligned in the direction Flight 77 took on its final fateful path.

Keith Kaseman, who along with his wife, Julie Beckman, designed the memorial, has called it an “invitation to think.”

In addition to a procession of speakers, including President Bush, Gates and Pentagon Memorial Fund board chairman Jim Laychak, the program was marked by solemn moments, such as a lone bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” while walking between the memorial benches, and the reading of the names of all 184 victims, each marked by the ringing of a ship’s bell.

The reading was gently interrupted at 8:46 a.m. for a moment of silence to mark the instant when another terrorist-piloted airliner crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, and to remember those who also died both in New York and in a grassy field in Pennsylvania.

When the speeches were done, Bush walked onto the site and officially dedicated the memorial, stopping first at the bench of 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg, the youngest victim.

The benches, covered in blue sheeting, were unveiled by troops wearing crisp dress uniforms — first Dana’s, then the rest in a rapid-fire sequence that had the effect of a large sheet being pulled back over the entire field. The thousands in attendance stood to applaud, and the air was filled with the fanfare of the U.S. Air Force Band and a full-throated chorus provided by the U.S. Army Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Chorus.

“The ceremony absolutely took my breath away,” said Meg Falk, who, at the time of the attack, was the director of the Pentagon’s office of family policy. After the attack, she set up the Pentagon’s assistance center to help victims’ families, and spent countless hours with them.

Falk, who has since retired, called the memorial “such a wonderful tribute to those whose lives were lost.”

One of those lives lost was retired Army Staff Sgt. Jimmie Holley, a Pentagon accountant who was in the building when it was struck. His stepson, Daniel Jackson, said the dedication was a “long time coming” but added that he was thankful for the effort made to put it together.

“I’ll never get over it,” he said of Holley’s death.

Later, after visiting Holley’s memorial bench, Jackson’s mood was serene. “It was beautiful,” he said. “It’ll be open 24 hours, so I’ll go to the bench and just sit and think about him. It’s so quiet and nice.”

Holley is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and his grave overlooks the Pentagon wall that was struck by Flight 77.

Rumsfeld said the proximity of Arlington makes the memorial’s location particularly fitting.

“Here beneath these sloping fields of Arlington National Cemetery, fields that hold our nation’s fallen, this building stands as a silent monument to the resolve of a free people,” said Rumsfeld, who was in the building during the attack and helped assist victims.

“And so, too, this memorial in its shadow will stand not only as a symbol of a nation’s grief, but as an eternal reminder of men and women of valor who saw flame and smoke, stepped forward to save and protect the lives of their fellow Americans on September 11.

“Let it also remind each of us of those who have volunteered to serve in our nation’s armed forces before and every day since,” Rumsfeld said. “Our nation’s military has stood strong in this new age of peril, determined that what happened here seven years ago must not happen again.”

We have include several clips of the service:

911 Pentagon Memorial

 

 

 

A Day to Remember

 

 

President Bush Speech "Remembering 9/11"

 

 

Dad and American Valor give special thanks to all those who have contributed in the remembrance of those who have fallen.  God Bless!

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

General Ray Odierno

September 17, 2008

General Ray Odierno

Odierno replaces Petraeus

Lieutenant General Ray Odierno took over the command of the 146,000-strong U.S. force in Iraq from General David Petraeus at a ceremony held on the outskirts of Baghdad on Tuesday.
Gen. Odierno, whom his predecessor termed as “the perfect man for the job,” said he was aware of the tough task ahead in Iraq, despite a recent lull in violence.Addressing a gathering after assuming the new responsibility, he said the recent security gains in the country are “fragile and reversible.”

He called upon the Iraqi people to take charge, as “the struggle is theirs to win.”

“Iraq is now a different country from the one I had seen first. However, we must realize that these gains are fragile and reversible,” Odierno added.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who unexpectedly flew in Monday to attend the ceremony, said the two generals formed an “incredible team” while implementing the troop surge plan last year.

Presiding over the ceremony, Gates recalled the challenges faced by Gen. Petraeus in one of the most risky foreign security missions carried out by U.S. armed forces.

“Darkness had descended on this land. Merchants of chaos were gaining strength. Death was commonplace. Slowly, but inexorably, the tide began to turn. Our enemies took a fearsome beating they will not soon forget,” Gates said.

He reminded Gen. odierno to be cautious at a “pivotal moment, when progress remains fragile.”

Gen. Petraeus paid tribute to the American soldiers in the fight against terrorism in Iraq.

Gen. Petraeus, who successfully sought the “surge” of nearly 30,000 extra U.S. troops in Iraq, is widely credited with reducing violence there during his 20 months in command.

After putting him at the helm of the Multi-National Force - Iraq in February 2007, the Bush administration heavily relied on Gen. Petraeus in the implementation of its so-called surge strategy.

Since then, the security situation has improved markedly, with less violence and fewer deaths, and progress on both the political and economic fronts of the country.

Petraeus has subsequently been promoted to oversee operations in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

He will take up the post as ‘Commander-in-Chief of the US Central Command next month, working from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

U.S. President George W. Bush gave an upbeat assessment of the security gains made in Iraq in July, which witnessed the least number of US troop casualties in the country since the beginning of the war in 2003.

He also announced the shortening of tours of duty in the war-torn country.  Discover the rest of the story here…

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment

A Soldier’s Tribute

September 15, 2008

A Soldier’s Courage

Little is known about Fred Dulevitz’s life.

It is unclear when his family moved to the United States from Russia, how long he lived in Massachusetts, or whether he graduated from high school.

More is known about his death, however.

Military records show that US Army Private Dulevitz was just 19 years old and had already earned the French Croix de Guerre award for bravery when he died during one of the deadliest battles of World War I, at Verdun in northeast France.

He volunteered for what was surely a suicidal mission: going through the German trenches to get a message to an American battalion commander.

He also earned a Purple Heart and, after his death on Oct. 28, 1918, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Those accolades were recognized on a new tombstone dedicated yesterday at the unmarked grave in Glenwood cemetery where he has lain for decades.

Dulevitz’s bravery is no longer buried in obscurity.

The honors he received came to light because of the efforts of Ernie Sullivan, a retired Chelsea High School teacher who has made tracking down local veterans a personal crusade. He made sure that Dulevitz received the headstone that recognized his service.

"I think they justly deserve to be recognized," he said. "These gentlemen gave their lives."

Read the full story about Fred Dulevitz here in the Boston Globe

 

(0) Comments) | Add Comment