Never Forget Those We Lost

September 11, 2010

Never Forget Those We Lost

Never forget the innocents whose lives were stolen on this horrible day!

Please take a moment of silence for all who suffered losses that day.

9/11

The devastation was without mercy or care for human life!

911 disaster

Dear God in Heaven forgive me my words of hate:

I want to deliver a message to all who planned, carried out and supported this mission.

May the fires of Heaven come down upon you and remove all traces of you and your supporters from the face of the earth for all eternity.

You say you do this in the name of Allah to rid the world of infidels.  I say you are the sons of Satan hell bent on destroying all that is good!

The wrath of God shall cleanse you one day!

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Freedom is NEVER Free

July 09, 2010

declaration of independence

What happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Source: American History
URL Source: http://www.sodahead.com/united-stat … ly-history-lesson/blog-103248/

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.

Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes, having enjoyed a fine, free 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!

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Protect Our Service Members

March 16, 2010

The Protect Us,
Now We Need to Protect Them!

This is from the post by Moe Lauzier at MoeIssuesoftheDay.blogspot.com/

It would be interesting to create a poll with these two photos and have people guess what’s happening.    Most would never assume anything close to the real story. It appears to be a joyous homecoming, a reuniting of mother and son. The truth is not so heart warming. 

The lady in the picture is the mother of an American that was ambushed in Fallujah, Iraq . Her son was murdered. His body was dragged around in the streets of the city, then burned and hung from the upper trusses of a bridge. The murderers gathered to celebrate and have their photos taken with the trophy.

The young sailor in the picture is one of the Navy SEALs that later captured the leader of the band of terrorist butchers and brought him to justice.

If the story ended there, it would still be an acceptable feel-good, good-guys-win story. Unfortunately, that’s not the case – this Navy SEAL is facing criminal charges. 

Because, somewhere along the timeline of his capture, the terrorist murderer suffered a school-yard fat lip, his captors are now being charged with nothing short of war crimes and facing discharge and imprisonment.

So, instead of celebration of justice served and heroes honored, these photos record betrayal, compounded mourning and the effects of a corrupting sickness.

From http://wavy.com SEALs assault case goes to court in NORFOLK, VA   "It’s been very stressful," said Navy SEAL Mathew McCabe, 24, moments after his arraignment in military court at Naval Station Norfolk Monday on charges that he allegedly mistreated an Iraqi detainee.

The mother of slain Blackwater guard Jerry Zovko drove from Ohio to give each of the accused SEALs a blessed rosary and lend them her support. "These young SEALs are in this situation because they caught the mastermind behind the death of my son, and not only my son and his co-workers but also the marines who went into Fallujah after their death," said Donna Zovko. "I am very proud of these young SEALs and thankful to them. They did not do anything wrong."

May I ramble a bit?  Think out loud, so to speak?  I’m trying to make some sense of this.  What title can I give to the mentality of a people that send their best to defend the whole and then betray them?  To what shall I attribute the attitude of a people that habitually prosecute their heroes while defending their enemies? What creates a culture that allows people to vilify and isolate their most noble and deify their most corrupt?

I perceive more symptoms of a sickness, a corruption of the nation’s heart and soul. I am tempted to label it ‘liberalism’ or ‘progressivism’, but those too are just symptoms of the infection. But this is nothing new, I recognized these symptoms four decades ago in the shameful treatment of our warriors returning from Vietnam, in the acceptance of Marines bombed in Beirut, in the ho-hum yawn of media coverage of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down), in the return to mental numbness after 9/11, prosecution of the Marines of Haditha, assault of recruiters across the country, anti-war protesters at the gates of Walter Reed Army Hospital…

This sickness, this infection has gone untreated for far too long. Americans are a tolerant bunch. We’ve patiently waited for the ingrates among us to grow up and develop a sense of pride and awe in the greatness of America . It’s not happening.

I’m tired of waiting. I’m fresh out of tolerance. There comes a time when the treatment for an infection cannot be postponed any longer, lest the patient die. Through history how many nations have habitually betrayed their defenders and survived?

Donna and I left our home at 4:00am, Monday morning and drove to Norfolk . We were in the company of four other patriots from the Raleigh area:

 
Don Gray of Military Appreciation Day and NC Gathering of Eagles.
Patrick Holbrook, NC Gathering of Eagles.
Russell Pope, NCFreedom.us 
Randy Dye, Randy’s Right Blog and NCFreedom.us 

We joined a hundred or more others at Gate 5 of the Norfolk Naval Base to demonstrate support for Navy SEAL Mathew McCabe. 

After the arraignment hearings, McCabe came out to meet his supporters.

Thanks to Pat, Don, Randy and Russ for riding with us.   Thanks to Russ and Randy for photos.

And thank you, Mathew McCabe, for your service to our country!

Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking…

 

=====================================
Followup from USNavySeals.com:
March 04, 2010
=====================================

"Those who have been following the case of Navy SEALs Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe may be interested in the news that Rep. Dan Burton (R – Indiana) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R – California) are hosting a press conference that will call for their exoneration. The following details were provided by a post on the KokomoPerspective.com: that at 3PM Thursday, March 4, 2010, a press conference will be held at The Capitol Visitors Center, Room HVC-201 in Washington D.C.

Along with Reps. Burton and Rohrabacher, the following people are also expected to be at the gathering: Ret. USMC Lt. Neal Puckett and Mr. Haytham Faraj, attorneys for Matthew McCabe; retired U.S. Navy SEAL Captain Larry Bailey; and over a dozen retired Navy SEALs and other special forces personnel.

According to a news feature on CNSNews.com, the petitions that were circulated by the offices of Rep. Burton and Human Events have gathered more than 40,000 and 118,000 signatures for a total of more than 160,000 people.

Both petitions call for the dropping of the charges brought against McCabe, Huertas and Keefe. The article shared that the petitions “will be sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Maj. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commanding general of Special Operations Command Central, who ordered the court martial, and to Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of Naval Operations.”

Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe will also be at the March 4 gathering, according to CNSNews; Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe, however, are not expected to be there."

=====================================
Followup from USNavySeals.com:
March 13, 2010
=====================================

A key event took place Friday in the assault charges that were brought about against three Navy SEALs. In a previous post, we shared how the request for immunity of five potential witnesses who will give testimonies that will support Navy SEALs Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe was denied.

On Friday, however, Cmdr. Tierney Carlos, the military judge who is hearing the case against Julio Huertas, said that the witnesses will be able to provide testimony that may place the allegations brought by a guard who said he witnessed McCabe punch Abed in doubt. Carlos ruled that “not granting them immunity… is either an attempt to gain tactical advantage over the defense or showed the government was overreaching”.

The five witnesses’ initial request for immunity was denied by Army Maj. Gen. C.T. Cleveland, the head of Special Operations Command Central. Cleveland was given until March 24 by Cmdr. Carlos to provide immunity to the five withnesses “he will abate the proceeding,” which is legalese for postponing the case indefinitely, according to a report by Kate Wiltrout of The Virginian-Pilot.

The potential witnesses are composed of four other Navy SEALs and a Navy Corpsman who were also present when the alleged “incident” happened, including the detachment commander. They dispute the claims made by the guard, and they requested for immunity as they had been told that they may also face prosecution.

Julio Huertas is charged with dereliction of duty, impeding an investigation and making a false official statement. Efforts are under way to have them exonerated, with Republican members of Congress rallying support behind their cause.

 

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Never Forget 9-11

September 11, 2009
No matter what happens, no matter what is decreed,…We Will NEVER Forget!!!The Terrorists behind this will pay the price no matter what the liberals say!

Forgive their sins that their soul may be cleansed, but their acts will send them straight to Hell!

This cause is to help ensure that all who have fought or served for our freedom are not forgotten. It is for our Grandfathers, our fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters or friends. We must never forget or take for granted the freedom we enjoy that they helped preserve for us. This cause is not just limited to those in uniform. There were many who did their part wether it be
the underground freedom fighter, the Red cross worker, or the the civilians who stood on the shores ready to fight. Almost everyone of us who lives in a Free Democratic society is related to or knows someone who has served this cause. This is for them.
WE MUST NEVER FORGET!

 

 Sept 11 2009
Exactly 8 years ago today the world virtually came to a standstill as we watched the incredible and unprovoked attacks unfolding on US soil.

In shock we watched as that first plane hit the Twin Towers, then the second . Then another plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania….. how could this be happening?

How hearts sunk in disbelief as the towers crumbled to the ground. We held our breath and prayed that many would survive and be found.

Sadly that was not the case. Nearly 3000 people perished that day. This was not just attack on the United States. It was an attack on the free world.

Through most of the casualties were American, many other countries also suffered casualties. Canada, Britain, Australia to mention a few.

However in one of Americas darkest hours it also showed us the incredible resolve America has.

Within minutes people from all walks of life rallied together to help their fellow Americans.

Countries across the globe stood along side America offering there help in whatever means possible.

Although this Cause is mainly directed towards Soldiers who have served and are still serving, it has from the start included everyday civilians who did what they could in past conflicts to preserve are freedom.

Sept 11 2001 was no exception. There were the brave men and women from the New York fire department who without any hesitation entered those buildings to rescue others, the police the paramedics and of course the passengers on United flight 93 who fought the terrorist, willingly giving their own lives to spare the lives of many more.

So on this day I ask you to please take the time to remember all those who lost their lives due to a cowardly foe who attacked the innocent.

And also remember the people who gave their lives and are still giving their lives to protect the innocent….you and me.

Sept 11 2001 was a rude awakening to a complacent society reminding us how precious and fragile our freedom is.

So please, I urge you, at 8:46 a.m. the time when the first plane hit the tower, stop whatever you are doing and take a moment of silence to remember!

WE MUST NEVER FORGET

  

 

  

 

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I Am an American

September 02, 2009
American Valor

American Valor Salutes Freedom and Those Who Protect It

I Am an American

The gate is closing rapidly

We are on the verge of losing ALL FREEDOM in America.

This is not about Democrat or Republican.  This is about right versus wrong.

What is going on in Congress right now is wrong.  Whether you agree with me or not, it is still wrong.

I have selected some videos for you to watch and make up your own mind, while it is still legal.

Allow me please to start out with quotes/truisms from over the years and then we will get to the videos.

"You cannot tax a nation into prosperity."

"This is America!  You do not and WILL NOT redistribute wealth…you EARN it!"

"If an American cannot run a business and make a profit from it, there is no way in creation that the Government can."

"Our healthcare system is in trouble.  It desperately needs to be FIXED!  Do you want our government treating our health the same way they run everything else?"

"This is America!  So why do I have to press 1 to hear English?"

"Congress is not about a Democracy.  Congress does not represent and look out for the benefits of it’s voters.  If Obama and Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi want it, it is done."

"There have been more laws and more appropriations fast-tracked this year than ever in the history of our country.  Is that because they were good laws or because of EFFECTIVE spending? No!  It was because Obama and Pelosi wanted it."

"We’ve worked hard all our lives scrimping and saving and paying taxes and obeying laws and playing by the rules so that we could look forward to a comfortable retirement.  Now we are in grave danger of losing all of it so that people who don’t work, who don’t try to save, who don’t pay taxes, who break the laws, who break the rules can have the same thing."

"Obama and Pelosi have been moving about Washington like gigantic earthmovers to pour billions of dollars into saving banking institutions that couldn’t make profitable decisions.  They’ve poured billions of dollars into the auto industry because they could not make profitable decisions."  It is a fact of like that most new businesses fail with the first five years after startup.  It is a fact of life that if you don’t run your business in a profitable manner you will go out of business.  We just don’t learn.  Years ago we bailed out Chrysler.  Now years later they have failed to survive without intervention.  Why will General Motors be any different.  If GM cannot make profitable decisions, then let them fail.  This is America!  Someone will step in, start making dependable vehicles at affordable prices and employ American workers.  Stay out of our business.

Now all that being said about all the billions and billions of dollars they are throwing around like confetti showering it upon people who don’t deserve it. Think about this:  "they just announced that there will be no cost of living increases for those living on fixed incomes with Social Security for the first time in twenty years. Budget problems you know.  Things are financially tight for the government this year you know.  BULL BUNGEE!  The pharmaceutical companies are making gigantic profits this year as they continue to increase the prices of the medications these people must have.  Other companies are raising prices to compensate for a loss of sales due to the bad economy.  So everything is increasing in cost to everyone in the country, including these people on Social Security.

The government has taken several steps this year to reduce military benefits for our sons and daughters, moms and dads, brothers and sisters in uniform.  They put their lives on the line everyday of the year, year in and year out to protect our country and our freedom and we are going to cut their benefits?  BULL BUNGEE!  You know, just once in a while there is nothing wrong with taking care of the people who have earned the right to be taken care of.

OK, OK, OK I’ll stop ranting and get on with our videos.  I’ll just leave you with these thoughts: 

I think it is time we put Americans in office.  I think it is time that people WE put in office should start looking our for us. I think that immigration is at the foundation of the development of our great nation.  Without immigrants, we would not have America.  I think immigrants who choose to stay here should apply for US citizenship within a reasonable time or they should leave.  I think they should learn to speak English and begin contributing to our economy.  We should not walk into department stores or pick up packages and have to look for the English version.  I think that every person from every country who immigrates to America brings a valuable contribution to our history and our system of values.  We are a melting pot of nationalities.  As we come together as Americans we build a unique system of values for our country that has made it one of the greatest nations on earth in all of history.

If you want to sneak into this country, operate on the black market economy, not pay taxes, not contribute to society, not obey the laws of our land then all I have to say to you is "Leave now.  You are no longer welcome here.  And those BULL BUNGEE slurping nimrods in Congress who want to give everything to you while denying it to American citizens should go with you.  The leader of our country should not kneel before the leader of any other country in this world.  Kneel only before God. 

I think by now most of you get my drift.  The problem is this:  most people in the United States (legally) feel the same way.  We are referred to as the great silent majority.  We know what is happening is not right, but we are comfortable with just sitting around mouthing off about it because just maybe some day we will be the ones getting the free lunch.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is no free lunch.  The gates are just about closed.  It is just about over.  Big Brother 1984 is just about in control, total domination.  There will be nothing we can do to change it when it happens.  Get off your collective duffs and speak up.  Vote when you can.  Do everything possible to get the nimrods out of office.  If they don’t like our country let them go to China or Iran or Russia.

The Videos:

 

 

I Am An American!

In 1954 an Akron, Ohio, high school girl, Elizabeth Ellen Evans, wrote a prize-winning essay titled "I Speak for Democracy." Carmon Dragon, conductor-composer of the School Broadcast, and Adrian Michael’s, the Broadcast’s program manager, read the essay and were impressed by its sincere patriotic feeling. Michaelis developed and adapted the words for musical presentation and Dragon composed the choral-orchestral background for a dramatic narration. The result: "I am an American." It was first heard on The Standard Hour, broadcast on "I am an American Day," September 12, 1954, from the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. (Narrator: Edmond O’Brien)

 

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Memorial Day Tribute

May 18, 2009

Memorial Day

A time for Remembrance and Thanks

American Valor Salutes Our Military

American Valor Salutes Our Military

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each gravesite at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy’s significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem "In Flanders Fields."

In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911.

Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season (with the 4th of July as the very hot middle). In the Northern United States, it is the traditional weekend in which people reopen pools that had been covered for the winter. The national "Click It or Ticket" campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for car accidents and other safety-related incidents. The United States Air Force’s "101 Critical Days of Summer," marking the period that statistically has shown an increase in accidents, begin on this day as well.

Memorial Day formerly was observed on May 30. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address:“ Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”

Since 1987, Hawaii’s Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional date.

Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Sharpsburg, Maryland, located near Antietam Battlefield; Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston. The site was a former Confederate prison camp as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died in captivity. The freed slaves re interred the dead Union soldiers from the mass grave to individual graves, fenced in the graveyard and built an entry arch declaring it a Union graveyard. This was a daring action for them to take in the South shortly after the North’s victory. On May 30, 1868, the freed slaves returned to the graveyard with flowers they had picked from the countryside and decorated the individual gravesites, thereby creating the first Decoration Day. A parade by thousands of freed blacks and Union soldiers from the area was followed by patriotic singing and a picnic.

The official birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, New York. The village was credited with being the place of origin because it observed the day on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, likely was a factor in the holiday’s growth.

Logan had been the principal speaker in a citywide memorial observation on April 29, 1866, at a cemetery in Carbondale, Illinois, an event that likely gave him the idea to make it a national holiday. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans’ organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were relatively few veterans of the Union Army who were buried in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington’s Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents’ Day; Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.

After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all fifty states adopted the measure within a few years. Veterans Day was eventually changed back to its traditional date. Ironically, most corporate businesses no longer close on Veterans Day, Columbus Day, or President’s Day, with the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and/or New Year’s Eve often substituted as more convenient "holidays" for their employees. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season." This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date, placing it exactly one week before Memorial Day.

Waterloo’s designation as the birthplace took place just in time for the village’s centennial observance. The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed House Concurrent Resolution 587 on May 17 and May 19, 1966 respectively, which reads in part as follows: "Resolved that the Congress of the United States, in recognition of the patriotic tradition set in motion one hundred years ago in the Village of Waterloo, NY, does hereby officially recognize Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day…"

On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Waterloo as the Birthplace of Memorial Day.

Today, take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and say a prayer of thanks for each and every man, woman and child who has made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country.

 

Dad wishes to thank Wikipedia and all it’s supporters for this ongoing work in support of Memorial Day. Thank You!

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Thank You by Lexxi Saal

May 18, 2009

"Thank You"
by Lexxi Saal

American Valor Salutes Our Military

American Valor Salutes Our Military

12 year old Lexxi Saal has written a song as a tribute to the Men & Women serving in the United States Armed Forces. Lexxi Saal is a 12 year old vocal talent climbing the ranks of the music industry with the desire and dedication to continue improving on her gift that many believe will to take her to the top!

Lexxi has written and recorded this moving tribute to the men and women in the military now.  "From the mouths of babes"..comes a truth and passion that we, as adults, could certainly benefit from if only we believed as strongly as they do.  Please watch this video with an open and receptive heart and say a prayer for those serving in the military as this memorial day approaches. Pray for their strength and survival.

Here are a few of the comments that accompany this new YouTube video:

…"I think that this is a great tribute and we should all stop and say "Thank You" to every Servicemen and every Servicewomen"

…"This beautiful tribute touched the deepest part of my soul. It was created by a young lady with the voice of an angel. Forward it on as it may play a significant role in lifting our soldiers morale. To my cousin Sgt. Robin Smith who is currently serving in Iraq., to all soldiers, and veterans, We salute you! You NEVER forgot what Honor, Courage and Committment means to you. May God protect you wherever you are!"

…"Thank you Lexxi!! I am an Army veteran who served in 3 combat tours between1989-1997. I appreciate this as I know all who are graced by your blessed message. I know as a veteran when you are called to perform your duty, you have to do what you are sworn in to do. I am sure your gifts from God will continue to be a blessing to not only our troops but all who get a chance to listen and learn as well. So Thank You lil’ maam!! God Bless you and your family continually."

…"Lexxi, I am a soldier in the army. I served eleven months in Iraq and it is people like yourself that keep us strong and remind us exactly what we are fighting for. I was very touched by your song and i thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not many people are as talented and as compassionate as yourself, I hope nothing changes. God bless and have a wonderful year."

Dad has always said you don’t have to support the war or the administration, but you certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve in the military to protect our freedom. Additionally I wish not only to say "Thank you" to all of them who are currently serving, or ever have, but also to the many thousands of people who are brave enough to stand up and show their thanks and gratitude with their own tributes.
Thank You Lexxi!

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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

 

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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!

 

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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."
 

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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.

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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"

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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.
 

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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.

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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!

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Thankful for Your Service

November 28, 2008

Good morning and a belated "Happy Thanksgiving" to all of you reading this.

I especially want to pledge my support and eternal thanks to those of you who are now serving or have ever in your life served our country.  Your job is never easy;  often unappreciated;  often scorned;  never over, often blamed for the decisions of politicians and rarely ever given credit for the self-sacrifice you make every day of your lives.

But the question often comes up by well-meaning, good-hearted liberals:  Why do we need the military?  They are so expensive!  We can negotiate with the misunderstood people of the world.  Is that so…

Today there was a common thread in the news:  Mumbai hit by terrorists.  The Taj Hotel in Mumbai, India.

"Several hostages are still in the Taj hotel and another 100 people are believed to be trapped in the Oberoi hotel, police said. Police conceded that there were some casualties among the commandos.

So far, 125 people have been killed, including 14 policemen and six foreigners, and 327 injured in a series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai since Wednesday evening. Security forces from the Indian army, navy, National Security Guard and Rapid Action Force got involved in the raging encounter with heavily-armed terrorists.

In the first ever press conference by the Indian Navy commandos, a masked officer said the terrorists were firing with AK series automatic rifles and hurling grenades inside the Taj hotel. "Definitely they were trained. Not everybody can fire AK series weapons. Using such weapons and explosives, it is obvious they were trained somewhere," said the officer.

A group calling itself Deccan Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, "external forces" are being blamed for the violence – a phrase sometimes used to refer to Pakistani militants, whom Indian authorities often blame for attacks. Pranab Mukherjee, the country’s foreign minister, was more explicit. "According to preliminary information, some elements in Pakistan are
responsible," he said."

Do you see what is going on here?  There was a small headline in the paper today stating that the Iraqi parliament has tentatively approved a plan for U.S. troop withdrawal.  We are approaching the end of the conflict in Iraq, hopefully.  Afghanistan is still smoking.  India is suffering.  What do we see as a common thread here?

We see evidence of AK series automatic rifles:  Автомат Калашникова образца 1947 года; Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947 goda; "Kalashnikov’s automatic rifle model of year 1947" …my goodness oh my goodness!  Isn’t that the devil-designed little assault rifle designed, developed and PRODUCED by the Russians?  Even to this day?

"Using such weapons and explosives, it is obvious they were trained somewhere"…Iran, Pakistan?

We are facing a world-wide confrontation with a very specific enemy.  Now I know that "profiling is supposed to be bad" but explain that to murdered soldiers, peacekeepers and law enforcement officials all over the world.

We are facing an enemy who is afraid to be seen in the light.  They are the Sons of Darkness.

They like to cover their faces with cloth…masks.

They like to fire missiles from within synagogues, mosques, churches, hospitals, hotels and schools where they can be "protected" by surrounding themselves with women and children.  Then, if and when fire is returned upon them, they scream persecution because we have killed their innocent women and children.

They strap explosives around their waists, cover them up, walk into a crowded public area and detonate, killing and wounding civilians.

They often use weapons manufactured in Russia.  They very often originate from one of three or four specific middle-eastern countries.

They often use force, fear and harassment to control their people.

Is it becoming clear what we are up against?  Cowards.  Their only desire in the world is death.  Death to themselves and to anyone who disagrees with them.  They have no remorse for killing women, children, the elderly, anyone of convenience.  They fear not death; they embrace it as an honor.

That my friends paints a pretty specific picture of a typical terrorist.  That is why we need the military.  The military is working around the clock, 365 days a year forever to protect us from them. 

We need to get down on our knees today and pray to God for His intervention, guidance and wisdom in fighting against these soldiers of the dark.  We need to thank God each and every day for our sons and daughters, our family and friends who are serving in the military to protect us from this evil disease called Terrorism.

Dad

 

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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!

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Victor Laverne Miller Honored at last

November 09, 2008

Victor Laverne Miller Honored at last

Victor Miller - Military Tribute

When the World War II veteran died in 1985, his stories did, too.No more hearing about how he would stall his Curtiss Helldiver, slipping sideways to avoid the Japanese gunners. No more hearing about how the bombs he dropped blew up a ship and caused so much death.

No more seeing his face soften when he talked about flying in wispy clouds. Like kissing heaven, he’d say.

His grownup children held a simple memorial service. Victor Laverne Miller, 67, dive bomber pilot, Navy Cross recipient, piano player. He willed his body to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

No remains to bury. No casket. Just a few prayers and hymns and memories.

But over the years, remembering the stories became harder and harder. Like millions of other families whose loved ones fought in one war or another, the Miller family had no documents, nothing on paper proving what he had done.

They didn’t even have a gravesite where they could go to remember him.

At their family gatherings, the question kept coming back: Dad was eligible to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, wasn’t he? Shouldn’t somebody check on it?

Burial now? Without a body? What about the tangle of paperwork? How would you gather all the documents? Where would you even begin?

It all seemed too hard, too intimidating, too time-consuming to try to dig out what they needed. With no military connections in the family, no one to help them through the labyrinth of military archives, it was easier to let go.

Until Jan Girando of Overland Park, the oldest of Miller’s five children, saw a newspaper article on how the national cemetery at Arlington, Va., was filling up. If they were going to get their father the recognition he deserved, now was the time.

Her three sisters and one brother tried. A sister was told it was probably too late. No ashes, no body, no burial. Forget it.

But Girando couldn’t forget. She couldn’t explain why, but she knew gaining this honor for her father would mean a lot to her family, now scattered across the country.

He and their mother had divorced. She died years before he did. And because she also had donated her body to a medical school, the family had no gravesite, no touchstone, no link tying everyone together except fading memories.

Like other service members whose stories have been forgotten, whose honors have been overlooked, he deserved recognition.

She vowed she wouldn’t give up until she had exhausted every possibility. But she had no idea it would take nearly a year from start to finish.

Read the rest of the Victor Miller story in the Kansas City Star here

 

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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!

 

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Vote Your Faith

October 24, 2008
American Valor Salutes Our Military

American Valor makes you think!

American Voters – Think Hard!

American Valor has just published our new page:  American Voters  It presents a very compelling video and it DOES NOT tell you who you should vote for. Just gets you thinking.  Now keep an open mind and an open heart as you evaluate the values of the candidates.  I have done my research and I know what the basic positions are that the two candidates McCain and Obama stand for.  Based on that I am ready to make my vote count. 

However, I will not go over the issues with you.  For me to review the issues and how each candidate stands would be for me to lead you in a particular direction.  I will not do that.  I will only say that if you are strong in your faith; study the candidates positions and vote with your faith…there is only one choice you can make that really matters.

Some things are more important than high gas prices or a faltering economy. They are life, family, marriage and faith. This November, Christians will have one vote to change the world. Vote your values! 

Check out American Voters now!
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Distinguished Service Cross – Christopher Waiters

October 24, 2008

Bullets, bomb no match for bravery

Christopher Waiters Decorated with Distinguished Service Cross

This article was written by BRAD WONG.  Brad is an author writing for the Seattle PI.
american valor - military tribute
When Army Spec. Christopher Waiters popped out of his Stryker vehicle last year in an Iraqi marketplace, he started shooting at insurgents as gunfire crackled around him.With snipers on buildings and bullets whistling by him, the Lacey resident grabbed his medical gear and ran about 100 meters toward a burning armored personnel carrier.

A bomb — part of an al-Qaida ambush — had blown a hole in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, engulfing it in flames. Plumes of smoke filled that intersection in Baqubah. Waiters, a medic, managed to pull two soldiers out of the vehicle — and helped recover the remains of a dead comrade inside.

For his bravery April 5, 2007, the former member of Fort Lewis’ Third Stryker Brigade Combat Team received the Distinguished Service Cross on Thursday during a ceremony at the military base south of Tacoma.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff, thanked the 26-year-old for his courage and service. “Never forget that you are the strength of the nation,” Chiarelli told Waiters, now a staff sergeant, and soldiers in the audience.

Before pinning the Army’s second highest award for heroism on Waiters’ chest, Chiarelli looked at him, raised his arm and saluted. Later, Waiters’ father hugged him. And fellow soldiers erupted in applause.

Waiters had just finished his shift around 9 a.m. on that April day when he heard an explosion and received a radio dispatch.

“Voodoo, let’s go,” Capt. Tim Price said, using Waiters’ military call sign. Price was the commander on scene during the battle.

Waiters raced in his Stryker vehicle to the intersection. Against the wishes of the vehicle’s commander, he hopped out. He knew that U.S. soldiers were hurt and that they needed him.

“They wear the American flag just like me,” Waiters said Thursday in recounting the battle.

Al-Qaida operatives had set an ambush for U.S. forces. Knowing that Americans would respond to a burning vehicle, gunmen waited for American soldiers to arrive.

On one nearby building, Waiters spotted two men spraying bullets from machine guns. From another building, three others fired weapons at the Americans and people in the street.

Civilians in the marketplace scattered. The rattle of a heavy machine gun manned by a fellow U.S. soldier also filled the air. U.S. sniper teams made their way to the fight.

Waiters just focused on reaching the burning Bradley. As he ran through the gunfire, common sense began to hit him.

“I’m already in hell. I might as well keep going,” he said he thought as he ran to the burning wreckage.

“When you’re scared, you can do a lot of amazing things. I figured, ‘Keep moving’ and I won’t get hit.”

When he reached the Bradley, he jumped on top of it. But the flames were too high and the heat was so intense that he jumped off. He raced to the back door.

He squeezed through the door and began feeling his way around. He spotted a soldier’s legs and boots and went to grab them.

But the smoke filled the compartment, forcing Waiters to leave for a moment to catch his breath.

At one point, about 15 rounds of 25 mm ammunition from the Bradley started exploding.

In the end, he ran a few times to the Bradley and pulled out two soldiers and called for helicopters to evacuate them. To this day, he still does not know their names.

He also brought a body bag for his dead comrade in the Bradley, Sgt. Jason A. Shaffer, 28, from Pennsylvania.

Waiters’ boots melted, and flames singed his uniform. But he wasn’t hurt.

Sgt. Jeffrey Anello, another medic, arrived to help remove Shaffer’s body. “Any hesitation on his part could have cost those two other soldiers their lives,” Anello said.

Waiters’ Distinguished Service Cross is the 17th given since the 9/11 attacks, Army officials said.

Read the rest of Brad Wong’s story at the Seattle PI

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American Valor – PBS DVD

October 17, 2008

American Valor – PBS DVD

 

American Valor, produced by PBS, is a very patriotic program that looks at several American military heroes who have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor (through 2004) — the highest level of recognition in the country. The stories of servicemen from the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy are told though archival news footage and photographs, interviews with medal recipients, and the testimonials of fellow soldiers who were witness to their heroism. Among the featured honorees are the first African-American and Asian-American soldiers to earn the medal — World War II veterans Vernon Baker and George Sakato. Also highlighted are the last two of the 3,440 awards to date (2004)– Gary Gordon and Randall Shughart, Delta Force members from the 1993 operation in Mogadishu, Somalia, who were posthumously awarded the medal. ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide All Movie GuideFrom Bull Run to Mogadishu, American Valor takes a moving and compelling look at America’s military heroes: those brave soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen whose actions have earned them the country’s highest military recognition, the Medal of Honor.
Stories of the Medal of Honor’s recipients unfold through newsreel footage, photographs, military art, and interviews with recipients and the comrades who witnessed their heroic acts. American Valor examines how the medal is more than a decoration for bravery; it is a way of helping understand who we are as a people, what we have experienced and what values we cherish.

 

Check out the full description of American Valor DVD - a military tribute to our Medal of Honor recipients.

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CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

October 17, 2008

CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

George Powers is helping lead souls to freedom as co-director for the Southeast Kansas House of Prayer, PittsburgOnce a soldier, always a soldier. You never stop fighting for what’s right. Such is the case with George Powers as told in the Pittsburgh, Kansas Morning Sun by staff writer Nikki Patrick.

George Powers has been a fighter against tyranny all his life.

 

First he fought against communist tyranny as a Ranger, a Green Beret and master parachutist, serving three combat tours of duty in Vietnam.

Now he’s fighting spiritual tyranny, helping lead souls to freedom as co-director for the Southeast Kansas House of Prayer, Pittsburg.  His new book, “The Making of a Soldier,” traces his battles, military and spiritual. Powers will sign copies of the book from 4 to 7:30 p.m. today and 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the recently dedicated Kansas National Guard Armory on South Rouse.

“I so much appreciate the Kansas National Guard agreeing to be my host for this book signing,” Powers said. “I want to do anything I can to make the public aware of the sacrifice our military is making, not only those who are serving but their families as well.”

A native of Wyoming, Powers wrote that “the heritage of a soldier that was to become mine literally grew out of the ground I lived on as a small child.” His great-grandfather’s ranch included three sites involved in the U.S. military’s battle against various Native American tribes, including Fort Phil Kearny.
He entered Montana State College at Bozeman, from which he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and Distinguished Military Graduate.

He served 12 1/2 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, including 30 months in Vietnam, earning numerous honors including the Bronze Star with Valor third award, Air Medal with Valor third award, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Badge, Army Commendation Medal and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Silver and Bronze Stars.  Memories of those years are often with him, and he frequently visits the Vietnam Wall at the Pittsburg State University Veterans Memorial. “I have friends on that wall,” Powers said.

He later attended seminary, graduated and returned to active duty as a U.S. Army chaplain with the 82D Airborne Division, Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Command and 1ST Infantry Division.  He continued in ministry after leaving the military, and in 1987 answered a call to pastor the South Broadway Baptist Church, Pittsburg. Powers later was instrumental in organizing Christ’s Community Church, and in developing the Southeast Kansas House of Prayer.

Based in Pittsburg, it has a mandate covering 10 area counties and is affiliated with the Kansas City International House of Prayer, Topeka House of Prayer, Crossroads International House of Prayer in Joplin and Bethel House of Prayer in Platt City, Mo.

Powers has never confined his ministry inside church walls. For 12 years, he served as PSU athletic chaplain, and he continues as an on-call chaplain with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. “I cherish the relationship with Sandy Horton and his staff,” Powers said.

For the past three years he’s also been a substitute teacher in Pittsburg schools, and enjoys working with the youngsters.  Powers is the father of five children, and stepfather of three born to his wife, Sue, and her previous husband, Doug Head. Four of his five sons have also gone into the military — Maj. Tim Powers, Maj. Tom Powers, Senior Airman Jason Head and Pfc. Paxton Powers. “Only an injury in high school kept my son, Travis Powers, out of the military lineup,” Powers said.

Various friends had urged him to write a book about his life.   “I never thought I’d do anything like that,” he said.  But he did, and response has been good for the book, which costs $15. Powers is a member of the Military Writers Society of America, and it recently posted an online review of “The Making of a Soldier” by Jim Stewart.

“George Powers has written a fine book about his journey through life,” Stewart wrote. “…His description of his tour of duty in Vietnam is detailed and hard-hitting. This is the spiritual growth of a committed leader and soldier.”  The reviewer ended by highly recommending the book, which he called an uplifting and educational journey from personal bondage to salvation.

Powers now refers to himself as a “made-over” soldier who battles with prayer and praise rather than guns and bullets.  “There is no higher calling than to surrender to the invitation to become a private in God’s Army,” Powers said.

Thank you Nikki for covering this so well. Another good story about a good soldier!
 

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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!



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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…
 

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Presidential Race

October 09, 2008


Presidential Race

The following article was written by RenewAmerica author Felicia Benamon.  I believe Felicia has captured the very essence of what the average American voter is faced with and thinking as they approach election day.  Thank you Felicia for a job well done and for being brave enough to speak the truth.

I’ve had some time to relax and reflect on the direction of our country and what steps we should take to ensure its prosperity.

In viewing the election, I’ve come to the conclusion that John McCain is the best choice. Earlier in the election season, I was indeed adamantly against voting for McCain and instead, touted third party candidates. Those who have decided on voting for a third party candidate…let’s face it, they will not get the proper coverage necessary for the American public to see their views and plans for this country. The media has concentrated on the two party candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. The race is now solidly between the two.

I am not negating the importance of third party candidates (candidates who usually have a differing view than the two party system), but if they are going to be serious challengers to the two party system, they must become more organized than they are currently. There is a lot of confusion, and voters considering third party candidates are split between the Constitution party, the Libertarian party, and America’s Independent Party. Third party candidates’ agenda would be better served if they could meet somewhere in the middle, come together under one political party banner.

However strong I may be against John McCain’s globalist leanings, he has bravely served his country. For his valiant effort to remain strong during torturous years in Vietnam and for his service, I am grateful and respect him. I am inclined to support a person of valor who knows the importance of supporting our troops’ mission in battle and who I KNOW will be an advocate for our troops.

His partner, Vice Presidential pick Sarah Palin is a bright light which this nation hasn’t had a privilege to see in a long time. Strong, sassy, beautiful, and conservative, Sarah Palin is a REAL woman who tells it like it is and isn’t afraid to play hardball against the entrenched politicians in Washington. I know she will hold her own in the White House.

Because I don’t put my hope in a politician, it will not matter who is in office as long as the hearts of the American people are fixed on God and are right with Him. When we are right with God, we can realize our gifts and use them to affect positive change and cause our leaders to take notice. Whether McCain is elected or not, our job is not to sit back and become disillusioned. We are to be active in keeping the American spirit alive…keeping it as a beacon for freedom and strength in the world. We must demand of our leaders that they hear us. And part of that is making the right choice at the voting booth.

I’ve had time to think, pray, and reflect. Now, I have made my choice. It is my hope that those who read this will vote in the best interest of our nation and allow God to have His way in their lives. Real hope lies in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not any particular politician.

Pray for our leaders and our country.
Felicia Benamon

Felicia Benamon is a conservative columnist who writes from a political perspective, but occasionally deviates to write about other concerns facing her country. A patriotic American, Felicia hopes to motivate others to be more conscious of the current state of affairs in America, and to hold true to the wonderful traditions that make America great.

Felicia comes from a military background and is proud to support the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to protect American citizens and who reach out to help those in need across the globe.

Write to Felicia at: FeliciasDesk@aol.com

American Valor thanks you Felicia!

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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:
 


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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

 


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Nathan Green Gordon – Medal of Honor

September 21, 2008

Nathan Green Gordon Medal of Honor

Nathan Green Gordon – Medal of Honor

While serving as a Navy pilot in the Pacific during WWII, Nathan Green Gordon rescued 15 downed airmen under enemy fire. Nathan went on to serve over 20 years as lieutenant governor of his home state.

Nathan Green Gordon, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for rescuing 15 fellow airmen during World War II and later served 20 years as lieutenant governor, has died at the age of 92.  Nathan had been suffering from pneumonia and passed away Monday night.Gordon was piloting a Navy Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat in February, 1944 when he was ordered to search for downed pilots after a raid on a Japanese position along the Bismarck Sea near Papua, New Guinea.

Under fire, Gordon piloted the unwieldy aircraft to three separate water landings in rough seas, picking up nine men. On the way back, he learned of a life raft in the water and landed the already overloaded plane yet again, pulling six more airmen aboard while again under heavy enemy fire.

According to an article from tha Associated Press;
“He just did not want to leave anyone there because if they had been captured, they would have faced almost certain death,” said Stephan McAteer, executive director of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in Little Rock.In a 2002 interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Gordon said some of the survivors needed medical treatment, “but I think everybody got over it all right. When I went back during the flight to check, our crew was feeding them. They said it was the best food they’d had in a long time.”

Gordon never thought he’d be nominated for the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor. His superiors cited his “exceptional daring, personal valor and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions.”

On his return to Arkansas, friends persuaded him to run for office and he wound up serving as lieutenant governor from 1947 to 1967, under four governors.

According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Web site, there were just 101 living recipients as of Aug. 23, including 27 from World War II.

America will miss Nathan Green Gordon.  He was truly one of our finest treasures.  Nathan was definitely a credit to the Navy, the United States and all Americans.

 

We offer our thanks for a job well done.  Thank you Nathan.

American Valor salutes you!

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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!

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