Sunday, September 30, 2007

Godspeed, Brig. Gen. Felix Sparks

Another passing of a hero from the 'Greatest Generation'.

Ironically, I first learned of this from the blog of an English language teacher in Saudi Arabia

Click here: My Telegraph : Paul in Saudi : September 2007

which led me to wish to find out more about Brig. Gen. Sparks, who passed away on September 25,2007.

Click here: Felix L. Sparks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From everything I could find, he was an exceptional soldier, and an exceptional man.

Felix Sparks received Two Silver Stars for his actions in WW II, but the men and women of the Colorado National Guard felt he deserved the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in saving 3 wounded GI's , recounted in this article

One Last Honor by Jim Sheeler, Rocky Mountain News

Sadly, that honor was not obtained for Brig. Gen. Sparks before his death.

Brig. Gen. Sparks was also with one of the first units to liberate Dachau, and is remembered for halting the killing of the surrendered SS soldiers at the camp, as you can see recounted in his own words here

Click here: DACHAU AND IT'S LIBERATION: Personal account by Felix L. Sparks Brigadier General, AUS (Retired)

I also came across this speech by Brig.Gen. Sparks

Click here: "Tell us who were there that it never happened"; Liberator's Speech

The Patriot Guard rides to honor Brig. Gen. Sparks, as you can see by this link

Click here: Brig. Gen. Felix L. Sparks (ret), AAG COARNG, Arvada, CO - 02 Oct 07 > Patriot Guard Forums - Americans Doing the

which has a synopsis of his life, and also some other links about him.

Godspeed and God Bless, Brig. Gen. Felix Sparks.

 


Tags:

Friday, September 28, 2007

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

There were plenty of posts by and about  Soldiers Angels  this past week :)

First up, I somehow missed posting this earlier, but Life in the Northeast had a post up with a poem written by a soldier

Click here: Yahoo! 360° - Life In The Northeast - A Soldier

and while we are over at Yahoo 360, friend charlee in Australia, an owner of 3 dogs herself, posted two remembrances of dogs who lost their lives while serving.

Click here: Yahoo!7 360° - charlee_rd's Blog - Entry for 24 September 2007 "In Memory"

Click here: Yahoo!7 360° - charlee_rd's Blog - Entry for 24 September 2007 "In Memory"

Another  Soldiers Angel  member who also raises guide dogs has some pictures of one of her dogs

Click here: To Tame the Wild Beastie: More Family Photos

 

Soldiers Angels Texas pays tribute to  Sgt. Eddie Jeffers ,  whose passing I mentioned previously .

Click here: SOLDIERS' ANGELS TEXAS: Hope Rides Alone

 

View From the 8th Floor is 'thinking Christmas' also.

Click here: View from the 8th Floor: 20,000 Mugs and 2 Angels

 

Soldiers Angels New York tells about a family in need.

Click here: Soldiers Angels New York: Cabaniss Family Needs Help

 

Soldiers Angels Louisiana tells about a poster contest

Click here: Soldiers’ Angels Louisiana » LA Poster Contest to honor Gulf-War Veterans

and also reminds us that volunteers are needed!

 

Soldiers Angels Medical Support tells us about Eagle Scouts.

 
 
Soldiers Angels Germany tells us about soldiers Talking About   Soldiers Angels
 
 
 
A Texan Abroad is Busy!
 
 
And, 3 'new' (or at least 'new-to-me':) Angel Blogs,yay!
 
 
 
 
Lastly, as always, for up-to-date news on Soldiers Angels, you can check out
 
And, recently returned from a trip to Iraq, check out the Featured Blog of the Week from Bob at Talking With Heroes
 
 
 
And that it's for this week, hope everyone enjoys the 'surf'!
 

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Time to Think Christmas..Friend Kat's 'Operation Love From Home'

Friend Kat over at  Yikes! is once again having her annual card drive for Christmas cards for the troops.Her post over on her blog says this:


OK, folks, it's officially official -- Operation Love from Home begins now!  Last year, thanks to all your hard work and commitment, 20,000 cards were collected and shipped to Iraq & Afghanistan!!! How awesome is that?!  LET'S DO IT AGAIN THIS YEAR -- I KNOW WE CAN!!! :) All the information is below, and I've attached a pretty, printable flyer.  This is a great project for scout troops, businesses and other organizations to get involved in tangibly showing support for our troops.  The troops can't see the yellow ribbon magnets on our cars...but they CAN hold a letter or card in their hand and KNOW someone back home REALLY CARES! :) Please forward this email to anyone and everyone you think may be interested in participating, post the info on message boards, and see what you can do to get others involved.  Not one of us can achieve this on our own...it will take us all working together to make it happen.

Hang on - we're in for a wild ride. :)  This is going to be GREAT! :)


OPERATION: LOVE FROM HOME


During this holiday season, let's show our troops we love and support them!
From OCTOBER 1 to November 24, I will be collecting holiday cards for troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Being away from home and living in harsh conditions during the holiday season is especially difficult ~ they need to know we have not forgotten them! Mail from home helps to keep our troops' morale strong, making a very real difference in their lives.

Send your signed, unsealed holiday cards to:

Mrs. Kathy Orr
OPERATION: LOVE FROM HOME
P.O. Box 1660
Loganville, Georgia, 30052

The cards can be handmade or store-bought. This is a great opportunity to get your Scout troop, school, church and other civic organizations involved in doing something to show support for our troops.

If you wish to send an email greeting,which will be printed off and mailed along with the holiday cards, please send an email to:
LoveFromHome@Gmail.com

*IMPORTANT GUIDELINES: This is not a "dating service" of any type. Please do not send suggestive or otherwise inappropriate cards or materials. Please also refrain from making political statements of any nature. I will be reading and screening every card received to ensure that the above guidelines are adhered to. Remember: This is strictly to let the troopsknow that we love them, we are proud of them and that we HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN them!

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT
LoveFromHome@Gmail.com. You can also join my Yahoo group to receive regular updates on the card drives -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveFromHome.
 
---------------------------------------
So please won't you consider joining in on her project, which you can also read about on her blog here
 
Kat's card drives are legendary:) and she is such a fantastic troop supporter. If you can't 'snail mail' a card, please consider sending an email to the address she has listed above.
 
Time to think Christmas! :)
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Wednesday Heroes

Welcome to this week's installment where all the member bloggers of Wednesday Hero collectively honor many of the real hero's found in this country who's names and bio's have been provided to us for these humble tributes by blogroll creator Indian Chris @ Right Wing and Right Minded.


Many of them are those that have paid the ultimate price for our country protecting it both here and abroad from the many threats we face from our enemies wishing us and them harm, some are not. In either case they are the real American heroes of today and we now both salute and offer our prayers. To join us if you wish to please start by reading the post below.(Introduction courtesy of  Chicago Ray )

 

 Lance Cpl. Cory Jamieson Lance Cpl. Cory Jamieson Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Personal Security Detachment, Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2

 

      

 

 Hippocrates once said, "Art is long, life is short".   Cpl. Jeremy David Allbaugh lived a short life. But, he was immortalized recently in acrylics by a Lance Cpl. Jamieson who painted a mural in his honor.

   

"I feel sad because it is for him, but it makes me happy because I can still do something for him," said Lance Cpl. Jamieson. "I thought about it during the ceremony in the chapel. I looked up at the stained glass windows and I thought 'I should do something like that'".    

 Along with help from family, a fellow Marine and a Morale, Wefare and Recreation manager, Jamieson had the paint and tools needed. "I would paint eight or nine hours in the gym and time would fly by," Jamieson said.

   

 

 Cpl. Jeremy David Allbaugh, 21 years old from Luther, Oklahoma, was killed by a roadside bomb on July 5, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Qaim, Iraq.

   "He believed very strongly in what our country's doing," said his mother, Jenifer Allbaugh. "They were doing good things over there, and we don't see that in the news or media. There's a lot of progress being made. I wish more people would talk to our boys who are in it and not our politicians because they see it firsthand".    

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Too,Too Funny:)

A friend sent a link to a video by this guy, and while looking at his other videos, I stumbled on this gem, which is just So appropriate to post on a blog:)

 

His website is here

Click here: Uncle Jay Explains The News

 

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Random Pictures from a Country Drive today

Took a drive out in Rockingham County,Virginia today....thought y'all might enjoy the pics:)

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

This will be short and sweet (and, no big surprise...it'also a day Late,lol:)

'Blankets' seems to be a short recurring theme from the few blog posts I have to pass on, with Soldiers Angels VA Team passing on word about a  Soldiers Angels  project for our veterans

Click here: Soldiers' Angels VA Team: Hugs for Heros

and another Soldiers Angel mentions providing warmth for the wounded

Click here: A Soldiers Angel: Blankets of Hope

 

Aunty Brat over at Tanker Brothers passes on CJ's account of the blogger meeting with the President

Click here: Tanker Brothers - Two Soldiers In The War On Terror

 

and,lastly, here's an Angel who is going Way above and beyond for the troops

Click here: Goings on… « Life As I Know It

and she's already posted an update since I saw that first post

 
Plus! in the 'it's truly a small world' department, I also discovered when looking through her archives that she and her husband had adopted a daughter from China! :)
 
(which, as you know, my sister and brother-in-law are preparing to Leave for China to get their beautiful daughter,Charlotte,soon!:)
 
And that is my very short  Soldiers Angels web surf for this past week.
Wishing everyone a good weekend, I am off to get some much-needed sleep:)

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Another Sad Passing

Via Gazing at the Flag, comes the news of another death yesterday, of  Sgt. Eddie Jeffers.

Please go read her post.

 

The Oldest Survivor of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis is Being Laid to Rest Today

Through a blog post by a friend on Yahoo 360

Click here: Yahoo! 360° - tanker's Blog - Entry for September 18, 2007 - Tom Goff - Survivor/Hero

I learned that Monday, the oldest survivor of the sinking of the

USS Indianapolis        passed away.

And from this article 

Click here: Ohio.com - Oldest survivor of sinking of USS Indianapolis dies

I learned that he is being laid to rest today.

I was rather upset, after I read my friend's original blog post about Tom Goff, that I did not see more about this either in the news or on blogs. 

While I have to admit that, ironically, my first recall of hearing about the USS Indianapolis is from the reference to it's sinking in the movie  "Jaws"

I had just recently watched the Discovery Channel show about that sinking

 
The passing of yet another member of the 'Greatest Generation', particularly of someone who was a survivor of the USS Indianapolis tragedy, I think deserves a bit more of a mention than I've seen thus far.
 
If you don't know the story of the sinking? The Wikipedia entry is worth a read. Briefly, on July 30, 1945, the ship was struck by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine and sank within 12 minutes. 300 men died in the initial explosion, 900 men went into the water....and rescue was delayed for 4 days.
 
The USS Indianapolis was the ship that delivered the atomic bomb that was later dropped on Hiroshima.
 
Of the 900 men who went into the water the day of the sinking? 321 were picked up when they were finallly rescued, with 317 ultimately surviving.
 
Tom Goff, at age 100, was the oldest living survivor of the sinking. He was a Marine, one of only 6 or 9 survivors (I've seen different numbers on the actual Marine survivors) of the ship's 39 Marine detachment on the day of the sinking.
 
Today, he is being laid to rest in Ohio.
Godspeed,Tom Goff, and may you rest in peace.
------------
 
The official website for the  USS Indianapolis Organization is here
 
 
and the website for the national memorial in Indiana is here
 
 
-----------
Two other blog posts that I did find about Mr. Goff's passing are here
 
 
 
 
 

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

WEDNESDAY HERO

Welcome to this week's installment where all the member bloggers of Wednesday Hero collectively honor many of the real hero's found in this country who's names and bio's have been provided to us for these humble tributes by blogroll creator Indian Chris @ Right Wing and Right Minded.


Many of them are those that have paid the ultimate price for our country protecting it both here and abroad from the many threats we face from our enemies wishing us and them harm, some are not. In either case they are the real American heroes of today and we now both salute and offer our prayers. To join us if you wish to please start by reading the post below.(Introduction courtesy of  Chicago Ray )
 
 
1st Lt. Forrest P. Ewens
1st Lt. Forrest P. Ewens 26 years old from Tonasket, Washington 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) June 16, 2006
 
 
 
 
 
The love of Megan Ewens's life arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on July 7, 2006. His ashes inside a small wooden box, the box inside a coffin, the coffin draped with an American flag and carried on a caisson pulled by six black horses.
 
 
Lt. Forrest P. Ewens had shipped out for Afghanistan in March of that same year. His wife, being the same rank in the Army, understood the risks, telling a colonel at Fort Drum, N.Y., that if anything happened to her husband, she didn't want to hear about it from a stranger.
 
 
 On June 6, 2006 Lt. Ewens and Sgt. Ian T. Sanchez were killed when ATV struck an IED while on combat operation in Pech River Valley, Afghanistan.
 
A few weeks before his death, Lt. Ewens called his wife from an Afghan mountain to inform her that his unit had been subsisting on melted snow and rations and that he had been writing his impressions down in a notebook he carried.
 
 
 "This was the love of her life," Megan Ewens's mother said. "They were so well-matched and made such a good team. We couldn't ask for a better son-in-law."
 
 
 

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

 

 We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

 

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Monday, September 17, 2007

If You Read Nothing Else Today..

Go read the latest in Blackfive's 'Someone You Should Know' series

 
a truly remarkable young man and an amazing story. (warning....you'll need tissues.)
 
My thanks to SK for alerting me to this.
 
and, in the comments section after the story, someone gave the link for the blog this Marine has
 

Saturday, September 15, 2007

HUGE news in the Milblog World

I thought I was done posting for today, but this is way too cool Not to pass on!

Several prominent Milbloggers had a meeting with the President!

Milblogging.com  has the story here

Historic Blogosphere First: Military Bloggers Meet with the President

and for more first-hand accounts of the meeting

 

Folks Walking in Honor and Memory of a Vietnam Vet with Huntington's Disease

A friend passed this along via email, and I hope you will help spread the word about this. 

 
(I'm not really in a position right now to contribute financially myself, but  wanted to pass this along....let's get the word out on the web for these folks,huh?  As a nurse, I've seen first-hand the devastation that Huntington's Disease wreaks on those suffering from it. Kudo's to this couple, who met Sgt. Portillo's widow and decided to make this walk.)
 
 

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

Lots of good news in the blogosphere by and about Soldiers Angels this past week.

Last Sunday, Soldiers Angels Kansas City updated on those 3,000 Marines.

Click here: Soldiers' Angels Kansas City: Remember the 3000 Marines?

 

View from the 8th Floor tells about the Freedom Walk in DC.

Click here: View from the 8th Floor: 9/11 and the National Freedom Walk

 

Tanker Brothers has some awesome news about a highway in Canada

Click here: Tanker Brothers - Two Soldiers In The War On Terror

 

Butterfly Wife is Still sending out cards:)

Click here: The Life and Times of a Butterfly Wife: Yep, I am still going strong

 

Soldiers Angels Texas gives some mailing tips.

Click here: SOLDIERS' ANGELS TEXAS: Make Sure mail reaches your Soldier

 

Some 'new-to-me' blogs by members of  Soldiers Angels

Click here: Tennessee's Guardian Angels For Soldier's Pets

Click here: Inky Fingers.....Crime Scene Stamper....: Patriot's Day

 

And lastly, this is a post by the father-in-law of a recovering wounded Marine, I've featured posts from this blog previously, but it awes me, that this gentleman would take the time in the midst of all that is going on with his family right now, to urge others to adopt a soldier.

Click here: Adopt a Soldier « Sgt. Samuel Nichols, USMC

Thank you, Mr. Neria, and we continue to hold Sam and all of your family in our prayers.

 

 

 

Friday, September 14, 2007

Odds and Ends

I know that, other than some recurring features (Soldiers Angels Web Surfing, Wednesday Hero) I haven't been doing a whole lot of just basic 'blogging' here lately.

Part of that has been because I've been involved in doing research for the

Soldiers Angels Living Legends Team

I helped out on research for about 21  Fallen Heroes in the past several weeks, and it's definitely true that,as they say  "this is an emotionally strenuous team to be on."  I have at times just felt immersed in sadness, when you read the stories of so many fallen soldiers at once.

Fortunately, there are some awesome team leaders on that team, who never fail to send an encouraging word ,it seems, right when you need it most.  And, even though I made several mistakes along the way as I got started in helping out with this team, I've received nothing but encouragement from other team Members,too. 

While I'm biased,lol, and think that All Angels most definitely 'rock'?  There are some extremely special ladies on the LL Team, for sure.

Anyway, that's what I've been wrapped up in lately.

Plus, I've also had some doctor's appointments, and will be having some minor outpatient surgery in the first part of October.  Nothing serious, but just another thing to add to the calendar of our busy lives.

Which Are going to be busy. Daughter April has been in practices for a musical show that we'll go to see this weekend. We've been going to meetings at the school for her Hawaii trip next spring. I've started going to a Bible study group once a week.

We've heard from our MP that he'll be deploying sometime in November, and Hurray! he will get some leave time to come home before he goes:)

And I guess that's enough 'family stuff' :)  In addition to everything else that's going on, I found time to watch the HBO show  "Alive Day"

Click here: HBO: Alive Day: The Film

and I highly recommend that you take the time to see it.  The wounded veterans that they interviewed for this film are amazing people, and their stories are incredibly sad,yet also inspiring. 

Some of the names of the veterans seemed familiar (which means I may have sent cards to them at some point as part of the Soldiers Angels Wounded TLC team )but one person I didn't realize was going to be part of the show was someone who had sent us a note of thanks for cards we had sent to he and his family.

You may remember back when I posted that I had received a handwritten thank you note from a wounded veteran? 

well, to see him on that HBO show, talking (and joking:)..... let's just say that first of all I made  the rest of the family come in and see that this was the man who had sent that very special note, and second of all, I viewed a lot of his interview through tears of joy mixed with sadness. Joy that he had come so far, and sadness for all he had lost. But mostly joy....that someone who wasn't even supposed to be sitting there at All, had come so Very far.

----------------

In other news? our area made the National news again, but not for something I think is very commendable.

U.S. Army charges soldier with desertion

--------------

If you haven't checked out the  Talking with Heroes blog? Bob Calvert, the host, just got back from a trip to Iraq....so go by and see what they're talking about over there.

 
(and sadly,Bob's father passed away shortly after he got back, so my condolences to him for his loss.)
-----------
Next, I have TWO great updates on the veteran I recently posted about a card shower for  
 
Josh made it home last Friday, to finish recuperating from his pneumonia there, and his recovery is continuing well!!
 
and, the Big News is...it looks like he's going to get his iBot!! Hurray!
 
 
it's generous people like all of you who made that possible!! So, a big Thank You! to all those who contributed to Josh's fund, and also to World T.E.A.M. Sports
 
(who,you may remember, sponsored the Face of America Bike Ride.)
 
The reverberations from that one event (the Face of America Bike Ride) continue. I received an email from Steve Danyluk that it's possible that a Book may come out of his participation in that bike ride.
 

A Marine, a Reporter and an Unlikely Story Told Together

It was war. For Marine Lt. Col. Steve “Luker” Danyluk and Washington Post reporter Jackie Spinner. The two were in Iraq together in 2004, but their paths never crossed until they got home and rode a bike ride in 2007 with veteran-amputees from Iraq and Afghanistan and their able-bodied supporters. Jackie crashed. Steve left the ride to make sure the comatose reporter, broken but intact, made it to the hospital. Their friendship was solidified. Jackie had already been saved once by the Marines when they rescued her from a kidnapping attempt outside of Abu Ghraib prison in June 2004. The daughter of a Vietnam veteran, she had a special affinity for those who served—without offering a political viewpoint of the war itself--and became known for her “soldier stories” told from the battlefield.

The two have now collaborated on a unique project, showing the photographs taken by Purple Heart recipients themselves when they were deployed in the war zone and their stories. Steve, whose own photographs are on display at the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, plans to photograph the recipients. Jackie will write a short narrative of each. Together, they will collect the photographs of those who served, putting together a special book whose proceeds will be entirely donated to wounded veteran projects.

A Marine and a reporter.

That is what makes this book unique, unlikely, a friendship between a Devil Dog and a reporter from The Washington Post who spent 13 months in Iraq, embedded sometimes, living with Iraqis for much of the other. Their viewpoints are completely different. One was in uniform on two separate ground combat tours and the other disguised as an Iraqi woman, slipping anonymously through society and yet grateful to be with American soldiers on assignment, a fellow American, an infidel, a target to insurgents because of the passport they shared. Her Iraqi staff called the troops “brothers,” and she felt it, deeply, regardless of any political opinion, able to remain objective and report on the war, wherever it took her.

.........Both of them were deeply affected by their experience in Iraq. Each, in their own way, has spent numerous hours trying to make personal sense of that experience.  Jackie writes. Steve discovered a latent talent for photography. He took more than  2000 photographs while in Iraq. Currently, he has a batch of photos on exhibit at the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago,(www.NVVAM.org)  and you can view some others at www.ipics4ivets.com if interested. 

......Their vision is a coffee table book, "Iraq/Afghanistan through the Eyes of the Wounded". Steve will take a current  black and white head shot or full-body photograph of the veterant; Jackie will write a 300- to 500- word narrative on the troop’s experience in-theater, post theater, homecoming--whatever it is that the veteran most wants to convey. That will be accompanied by four to six pictures that the veteran took himself or herself while deployed. The book would encompass the works of 18 to 24 veterans.

(The authors plan to donate 100 percent of any proceeds they earn from the book to wounded veteran projects).

-----------------

I am hopeful that this book will come into being. Be sure and click on the links in the article above, to find out more.

And the photo exhibit referred to also has pictures taken by Eric Edmundson , another wounded veteran frequently mentioned in this blog, who has upcoming good news of his own....a "Key Presentation" ceremony on the home being built for he and his family by Homes for Our Troops , on Oct.6. Congratulations! to Eric and family.

---------

For other Independence Fund 'good news' ? Eric Jordan is Aso going to get His iBot!

http://independencefund.net/ericjordan.html

 

and John Barnes is just finishing up his CI therapy at UAB, as you can see on his CaringBridge website  here

-----------------

Well, I obviously need to get over to the Independence Fund Blog and post these updates there, as well!

And I also need to pull together the weekly "Soldiers Angels Web Surfing' feature, I've been monitoring the updates I receive from Google,etc. for that, and there's lots of good stuff going on by and about  Soldiers Angels  that's worth passing on!

so, it either seems to be 'famine or feast' on this blog,lol, as far as my posting.

But, just stopping in to try and catch things up, and to say Thanks! to all those who continue to stop by here and read!

 

 


 

 

 

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

WEDNESDAY HERO

Welcome to this week's installment where all the member bloggers of Wednesday Hero collectively honor many of the real hero's found in this country who's names and bio's have been provided to us for these humble tributes by blogroll creator Indian Chris @ Right Wing and Right Minded.


Many of them are those that have paid the ultimate price for our country protecting it both here and abroad from the many threats we face from our enemies wishing us and them harm, some are not. In either case they are the real American heroes of today and we now both salute and offer our prayers. To join us if you wish to please start by reading the post below.(Introduction courtesy of  Chicago Ray )
 
 

Staff Sgt. Richard P. Ramey

 

Staff Sgt. Richard P. Ramey 27 years old from Canton, Ohio 703rd Ordinance Compan, supporting the 82nd Airborne Division February 8, 2004
 
 
 
 
Richard Ramey always knew what he was going to be. Once, while in the third grade, his teacher asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. His response? "I’ll go to war and fight"
 
Concerned by his answer, his teacher called his mother, Julie Ramey. She told her "No, that's my son".
 
 
 SSgt. Ramey was killed when insurgents attacked his and other convoys in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.
 
 "Richard loved to do his job. No matter where it would take him," said his mother. "He really felt deeply that he wanted to protect people that couldn’t protect themselves"
 
 
In a statement released through Fort Knox, the Ramey family said, "He was adventurous and smart, combining both qualities in what he did for the Army. We knew his work was dangerous but also knew he wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else".
 
 
 

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

 

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

 

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 11, 2007 Project 2,996

 

The   2,996 Project   has continued this year, albeit in a more scaled back form.

There are now 5 people and their loved ones who I hold in my heart on this day, because of the 2,996 Project, and they are

 
 
 
 
and there are many, many others that I have learned of, through the tributes posted by bloggers participating in the  2,996 Project
 
Those who are posting new tributes today, or reposting tributes done last year, are leaving their links in the comments on the 2,996 blog here
 
 
 
and a list of last year's tributes can be found here
 
 
It is a gray,cold, and rainy day here where I live today, which seems fitting on a solemn day of remembrance.
 
Please consider taking the time to visit even just a few of the tributes that are posted today, to learn about, and remember, all those who were lost.

 
 
 

Sunday, September 9, 2007

2,996...I Remember...Yuguang Zheng and Shuyin Yang

I cannot write about one,without writing about the other.

A Chinese couple, heading home to Beijing after almost a year of visiting their daughter and son-in-law here in the US. Dying together, as they had been for 35 years of marriage, on American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11,2001.

Yuguang Zheng,65, was a retired chemist, and his wife, Shuyin Yang, was a retired pediatrician. They had one son, Shidong Zheng, of Nagano,Japan and one daughter, Rui Zheng, of Baltimore,MD.

Their daughter wrote a beautiful tribute to them on their Legacy.com page, that you can read in it's entirety here

Click here: Remember: September 11, 2001 - A site presented by Legacy.com

But to excerpt some of it:

"They were very loving and affectionate, although they had quite different hobbies and personalities. The husband loved painting"

I found a picture of one of his paintings


that his daughter had posted on the Washington Post memorial website HERE where she said,

“My father started Chinese painting about five years ago. Most of his paintings depict peaceful scenes, accompanied by small living creatures. These features capture my father: quiet, peaceful, but full of vitality.

Rui Zheng, daughter

She also said of her father

"To his children, he was a special father because he made you feel the love from the bottom of his heart, even though he didn’t speak a lot."

About her mother,she said:

" His wife was an active, open-minded and kind lady.She loved to try every thing that was novel to her, even though sometimes it was a little risky. Besides, she liked cooking and was very good at it. Those who had tried her cooking loved her and her food."

On another Washington Post memorial page HERE , I found this picture of a gift her mother had given her daughter and son-in-law

and Rui Zheng said of it:

“My mother gave my husband and me this Bodhisattva Guanyin [a Buddist goddess] after our marriage. The Bodhisattva Guanyin hears the cries of the world and responds with deep care to those in need. Guanyin is also believed to bring happiness, give love and take care of people. That’s how my mother lived her life.”

Rui Zheng, daughter

She also said of her mother

"Definitely, the most important thing about her was that she was a good mother. She listened, accompanied and did her best to comfort her children whenever they felt upset and frustrated even after they grew up."

Rui Zheng's remembrance of her parents continues on to say:

"To both Yuguang and Shuyin, family was the most important thing. They loved each other and their children..........For their family members, the only thing that provides relief is knowing that the devoted couple was together all the time, even at the last minute of their lives.............What they left behind for family members and friends are the loving memories of them. "

Yuguang Zheng and Shuyin Yang (or,as I saw in some postings,Zheng Yuguang and Yang Shuyin) loved deeply, and were deeply loved.

They left behind other loving family members, as I found in this article here (from the China Daily) The article mentions Yang Shuyin's older sister, Yang Shuzhen, who is also a doctor, in Changzhou of east China's Jiangsu Province and Yang Shuzhen's daughter, Chen Wei, the niece of Zheng Yuguang and Yang Shuyin.

Chen Wei traveled to the US on behalf of the Chinese members of the families of Yuguang Zheng and Shuyin Yang for a memorial service held at the Pentagon shortly after their deaths.

And, at that service, Rui Zheng took some earth from the Pentagon, which she later buried in a cemetary in Beijing because she "wanted them to rest in peace at home."

Last year, Rui Zheng was invited to be a keynote speaker at the first memorial service held for the foreign victims of 9/11 in Washington. She went, Rui said, because

"It is an opportunity for me to let more people know my parents, who were loved by their families and friends."

--------------

I pray you rest in peace, Yuguang Zheng and Shuyin Yang. And I will now hold your children, family, and friends in my prayers and in my heart,whenever I remember September 11th,2001.

(This post is part of the 2,996 Project which began last year to honor and remember those who lost their lives on 9/11 )

-------------------------

Update: December 2008

Yesterday, I was able to visit the Pentagon Memorial, and touch the benches with your names, and pause to remember each of you.


Photobucket

(although the picture I took did not capture it, your husband's name is listed along with yours, on the plaque over the water......as is the reverse on your husband's memorial bench. So, I was able to remember both of you together, and the memorial had a wonderful sense of peace and calmness about it. )


Friday, September 7, 2007

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

A big Welcome! to the blogsphere, to the newest  Soldiers Angels  blog

Click here: Soldiers' Angels VA Team

(and remember, you can always check to see blogs by other members of Soldiers Angels here)

 
my list is up to around 68 blogs. Does your blog belong there? Send me an email:) at kasee267@aol.com 
 
 
Greta, the inimitable Hooah Wife  (who as near as I can tell, blogs Everywhere!)
is going to be Guest Hosting at VA Joe's
 
and you can check out her posts (among other posts) here
 
She also posts about the Chili Cook Off (with a link to great pictures)
here
 
and she posts about the upcoming Freedom Walk (tomorrow!)
 
has another post here
 
and, she also blogs over Here
 
(I no longer have any worries for myself,LOL, that I am spread too thin on the web. All I can say is....GO, Greta!! :)
 
 
There Are other Soldiers Angels posting out there
 
Laurie posts about a photography opportunity
 
Soldiers Angels Texas passes on a possible volunteer opportunity with this news
 
and Soldiers Angels Europe has moved (physically, not their blog)
 
 
To wind up this short 'surf' (since I posted Monday,also)
here's a great story
 
That's all for today. Hope everyone has a good weekend!
 
 

Thursday, September 6, 2007

A GetWell Card Shower for a Veteran

I'm sorry to say I found out today that the disabled vet that my daughter and I met back in April,
Josh Lindsey
 
 
is in the hospital with pneumonia.
 
A friend emailed to tell me, and I ended up speaking briefly with Josh this afternoon. He said he is 'getting better' and he will most likely be in the hospital thru the weekend.
I told Josh that our mutual friend had wanted to do a get well card shower for him? and Josh said that would be 'way cool' :)
 
I'm hopeful Josh will continue to improve, and I'm sure he would appreciate any prayers you could send up.
 
If you'd also like to send a card? Please email me at   kasee267@aol.com   for the address.
 
If you'd like to read more about Josh? You can check out this previous post about him
 
 
Let's 'Shower' this young man with some 'love',huh?  :)
 
And Thanks! for the prayers for him, and the cards if you feel led to send them!
 
(and please feel free to spread the word:)
 
 

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

WEDNESDAY HERO

Welcome to this week's installment where all the member bloggers of Wednesday Hero collectively honor many of the real hero's found in this country who's names and bio's have been provided to us for these humble tributes by blogroll creator Indian Chris @ Right Wing and Right Minded.


Many of them are those that have paid the ultimate price for our country protecting it both here and abroad from the many threats we face from our enemies wishing us and them harm, some are not. In either case they are the real American heroes of today and we now both salute and offer our prayers. To join us if you wish to please start by reading the post below.(Introduction courtesy of  Chicago Ray )
 
 

Sgt. Willard T. Partridge

 

Sgt. Willard T. Partridge 35 years old from Ferriday, Louisiana 170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade
August 20, 2005
 
 
 
 Sgt. Partridge was killed by an IED that exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq.
 
There isn't that much information about Sgt. Partridge so I though I would share some of the memories that his friends and family have of him.
 
 "I remember Partridge from basic training and AIT. He was a very quiet guy who had a good sense of humor. I remember asking him why he joined, and he told me it was so he could take care of his family and give them a better life. I would have deployed with him any day, he was one of the good guys I graduated with. He will not be forgotten. God Bless."
 
 
 "Todd was one of the best men I have ever met and I will always have great memories and admiration for him! My thoughts and prayers go out to his family!"
 
 
"I will never forget you and those awful eighteen weeks at Fort Leonard Wood. You are in every sense of the term, 'A HERO'"
 
 
"Todd was such a quite, solid person. He never demanded the attention of those around him. I remember him always just smiling while everyone else at our LARGE FAMILY get togethers made noise. I could get a hug from him, but I had to ask for it. He never assumed anything. I loved making him hug me. Todd was a solid, faithful husband, father and man in every respect. He did what had to be done in all areas of his life. He died doing what he knew to be his job in this life. Not that he wanted to die but he wanted to serve whatever the cost might be. He knew that freedom is not free and wanted to pay his part for that freedom for himself, his wife and girls. I have nothing but love and respect for Todd's memory and will always proudly and thankfully count him among my nephews that adore. His memory will always be honored. I thank God that He brought Todd into our family. He left his mark on it just as he did everywhere he went."
 
 

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

It's Official! :)

I'm going to have a new niece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sister Tracy and brother-in-law Adam Finally received the news today about their baby they're adopting from China!!

You can go here, to see the upcoming, much-anticipated, and LONG-AWAITED, beautiful addition to our family:)

 
 

A belated announcement

Yikes, I just came across this saved on my computer, and think I had forgotten to pass it along!

Remember the Virtual Baby Shower that so many of you so kindly participated in? Well, Trish made the announcement that baby Deven arrived:)

 
Welcome to the world! Deven! And congratualtions to Martha and Seth:)
 

Soldiers Angels Web Surfing

My 'movable meme' post, supposed to show up on Fridays according to my self-imposed schedule (which I can't seem to adhere to,lol:) in which I surf around the blogosphere to post mentions of and by members of   Soldiers Angels

Work and our holiday plans set back my schedule this time, and I also got involved (I knew this was coming, Terri is nothing if not persistent and patient,lol) in helping to do research for the Living Legends Team . I fell into that backwards, which is generally the way I end up doing things. I had seen the call for people to help do research,and wasn't sure that I could find the time,so I remained silent. 

(I was also in the middle of putting together the slide show idea I had come up with for the one year anniversary of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll.  While that was an honor to put together? let's just say that the time to have an idea like that would probably be at the Beginning of the year, rather than at the End of it!

 But, it turned out the way I wanted, which was to honor all those the Blogroll had featured in the past year, and now I have a better idea for what I need to save if I plan to do it again Next year.:)

So, in the midst of that, I made the serendipitous mistake (serendipitous for the LL team:) of coming across something that I knew Terri was looking for, emailed it to her, and then said to myself "oh,no, you know what's coming next!" Sure enough, almost faster than the speed of light,lol, she shot back an email saying "thank you" and then "could you please....?"

Well, yes, I probably could. (and Angels like Terri are so hard to say 'no' to,lol, when they specifically ask:)  I received an Enormous amount of help from Angel Janet...Thank You!....and a lot of positive encouragement from other Angels on my first attempts to send out the information after I did my research (which I managed to mess up part of sending it out, par for the course,I guess) All I can say is, for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what a great deal of time and effort goes into what the Living Legends Team does? it was a real eye-opener.   I only had 4 names of fallen soldiers to research, and these dedicated Angels who have been doing this have been researching sometimes up to 100 names! I have no idea how they do it all.

And Patti, the 'Head Angel',  as always sent an encouraging and uplifting message of support,too.  She's just Everywhere, always cheering Angels on. I love that woman!! How can I have any reservations about finding time to do this? when I consider all that Patti does every day?

Well, that is enough 'about me', I suppose:) On to the 'web surf'.

There is a hero who needs support,over the recent death of his father

Click here: A German-American Friendship Bracelet: Our hero Ben Lunak from 2006 is in need of some more support---

And you may have already seen the call that Blackfive put out

Click here: BLACKFIVE: Calling All Angels!

Don't forget that Christmas is coming!

Click here: Cassy Fiano: Bringing Holidays to Heroes

and please don't forget this project,either.

Click here: View from the 8th Floor: NEW Update on Holiday Project for Georgia Soldiers - Aug 23rd

Read about a 'sea of Angels' :)

 
and now, just for some random posts about what both 'new-to-me Angels' and 'Angels we've seen before" are doing and saying?
 
 
 
 
I hope all of you have a great week (what's left of this week, those Monday holidays always seemed to throw me out of kilter:) and I hope you enjoy the short web surf.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Patriot Guard Riders Mission for Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson

Today, we attended the funeral of Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson with the Patriot Guard Riders.

  

Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson, 21, of Maurertown, Va., died Aug. 27 in Paktika, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.

This is only the second funeral mission we've been able to attend with the PGR, and the funeral was about 40 minutes up the road from us, in Woodstock,VA, in the Shenandoah Valley.

We were the only members to attend in a 'cage',as they call a car, but there were two large groups of bikers who had gotten up at 4 am to come all the way down from Pennsylvania to honor this young man. Another group of bikers came in after we had already gathered at the high school where Pfc. Wilson's funeral was held.

I have a slideshow of a few pictures we took...we didn't take very many (and we also had some glitches with the picture taking,read 'operator error', as in I'm still not proficient at operating the camera)

We stood in the flag line behind the honor guard at the doors, and there were a tremendous amount of people who came to pay their respects.

The plan was for the bike escort to travel to where Thomas Wilson would be buried, on his grandfather's farm, and as we were in a 'cage', we drove down the street to get a drink once the funeral had started. In the store, we saw a notice posted asking the townspeople to show their support of the family by lining the streets, and we decided to stand there on the sidewalk with the people who were already starting to gather.

 And the townspeople came. Two elderly ladies were already standing across the street when we first stopped,but they were soon joined bit by bit by more and more people. A young family, a veteran from the VFW, a father and his young son....they came and stood, some holding flags....and they waited for an hour and a half, for the funeral procession to begin passing by.

 On our side of the street, we were standing by an older man who said to us that he had come down from another town....a disabled Vietnam veteran, he wanted to honor this young man's sacrifice and pay his respects. He stood with us in the hot sun along with all the others, speaking briefly of his own wartime service and shifting his weight from time to time on the ankle that had been injured in that service.

 Others joined us as time went on.....a family group, a lone woman who said she felt that she 'must' stop and do this. A group of bikers stopped for gas, and when one of them came over to ask why so many were standing along the road? they decided to stand there and wait,also.

 And when the procession left the high school a half a block away? They were led by the muted thunder of a group of what had to be over 60 motorcycles. The ride captain of this mission had asked riders to turn out in force to honor Pfc. Wilson's sacrifice, and they had.

 We held our flags as they went by, and as I looked at the grief stricken faces of those riding by in car after car, young and old alike sharing the same pain-filled and still half-disbelieving look....I blinked back my own tears. For those who had lost a son,brother, grandson, friend....and for a town that came out to say with their presence "We are standing with you here today."

 Our country lost another hero, but in the midst of this, I was reminded that this is what is best and brightest about us, about America and Americans.

 It didn't matter what anyone's politics were, or their views on the war. They gathered together, and fellow Americans even came from another state, to let the family and friends know "We grieve for and with you for your loss, and we honor this young man's life."

May you rest in peace, Pfc. Thomas Wilson. Your family and friends are inour prayers.