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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General Ray Odierno

September 17, 2008

General Ray Odierno

Odierno replaces Petraeus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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A Soldier’s Tribute

September 15, 2008

A Soldier’s Courage

Little is known about Fred Dulevitz’s life.

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

More is known about his death, however.

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

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

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

Dulevitz’s bravery is no longer buried in obscurity.

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

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

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

 

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John McCain Pledge of Allegiance

September 10, 2008

The Pledge of Allegiance’ - by Senator John McCain

We just received this from Becky today.  I think this message pretty well says it all about John McCain and where he’s coming from.  Thank you Becky for sharing this with us!

John McCain’s remarks about the Pledge of Allegiance
In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect to the Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John McCain is very appropriate:

‘The Pledge of Allegiance’ - by Senator John McCain

‘As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home. One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn’t wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.

As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike’s shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike’s shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could.

The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.
As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he kn ew how important it was to us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country.’

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under

 

God

, indivisable,
with liberty and justice for all.’

 

 

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Tim McGraw Military Tribute

September 10, 2008

Tim McGraw Military Tribute

Tim McGraw and his band, the Dancehall Doctors, will perform a military tribute Thursday (Sept. 11) for military personnel and their families at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. McGraw is donating his performance for the concert that’s expected to attract a crowd of 25,000 at MacArthur Field. "We can only begin to sympathize [with] the immense sacrifice the soldiers and their families make on a daily basis," McGraw said. "We hope our
show gives them a brief interlude of their duties and time to enjoy themselves for a little while."

This is just one more reason Dad holds Tim McGraw in such high esteem.  He is taking time from his very busy schedule to say "Thanks for all you’ve done" to the men and women serving in the US Military.  Thank you Tim for your tribute!


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Patriotic Tribute to Our Military

September 07, 2008

Patriotic Tribute to Our Military

You have learned by now that I am a died in the wool patriot. You have learned that I believe in God and Country.  I am proud to be an American.  I was and will continue to be proud to serve.  I love my country.  I love my president. I love all my leaders in congress.  I love my family.  Make no mistake about it.  I always was and always will be proud to lay down my life for all that I love.

Why is it so hard to understand patriotic love?  Have people become so calloused that hey are insensitive to love and patriotism?  God help us all.

Watch this and say a little prayer not only for our country but also for all our troups around the world standing in harms way to protect us and defend our freedom.  Thank you…Dad

 

 

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