Happy Holidays from the 26th MEU

December 18, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Video

Hang in there past the beginning. It gets good.

1 Comment »

Does this deployment make me look fat?

December 17, 2008 By Claire
Posted in Spouse and Family

When my son (Mike) was headed for Iraq my husband (Bryan) was headed to Ft. Benning. I was headed toward a nervous breakdown on some days because of all of the uprooting taking place. I had been running a small consulting business from my home for a couple of years prior to the Military infiltration that happened in our very own living room that year. I called my clients one by one and let them know that my time as a private consultant had come to an end. I knew it would be insane to even try to keep that up. Not to mention that I was already planning a PCS for later that year.

My work was gone. I was a solo-mom for a while. I had a demanding and high energy toddler, and a teenager (c’mon how useful is a teenager?) to figure things out for (as well as a college student). I knew that stress was going to be more familiar to me than sleep, and I needed to figure out what I was going to do to keep my sanity. Proactive planning was the game plan, but how in the world do you plan for something you know absolutely nothing about? I had never dealt with a deployment up close and personal. Wives are neurotic (I know because I am one), but mothers take neurotic expression to a whole new level when deployment is involved.

My strategy became something that I have benefited from since the moment I made the decision and implemented it. Prior to the Army insanity in our home I had faced a couple of illnesses and was having a hard time recovering from having Emma later in life. I wasn’t on my death bed or anything, but I had slowly put on extra weight and slowly gotten way out of shape (for me anyway). This whole matter had been driving me crazy anyway. I have always been a pretty high energy and health person. Now, I was getting winded taking a flight of stairs. It was not my body, and so I decided to find myself again!

The day after I dropped Bryan off at the recruiters station for his luxury trip to Uncle Benning’s Camp for Wayward Husbands, I stopped by the gym and signed up. I decided that I would go every day of the week except Sunday — to the best of my ability. They had a child care center and it was part of the membership. So, everyday during that summer (and beyond) I would go and hop on the cross trainer (who I affectionately named “The Beast!”).

I started out doing 10-minutes at a time, but within a couple of months I was doing 60-minutes daily at a 10-minute mile pace on an incline. How did I do it? Easy. Stress (and sometimes rage) was my fuel. I was also motivated by the clear understanding (from previous work) that health does not simply mean the absence of disease. I was not healthy and I could be. Once I admitted it and owned it, I had no excuse to not fix it!

When I got on “The Beast” (or later the treadmill or street to run) I would turn on my iPod, put on some music that stirred up my feelings of wanting to pound someone or something to a pulp — not sad or happy music. I often listened to metal rage screamed out with the deepest inner-turmoil expressed by disenfranchised white guys. I asked my sons to give me suggestions — they kept it confined to music that was intense, but clean enough for a mom to not choke to death listening to (think selective Breaking Benjamin, Pantera, etc). When I was on “The Beast” I would think about the insult I heard earlier that week hurled at our Troops in Iraq (aka, my sons!). I would remember the conversation about the close call in Baghdad, or about the day shrapnel hit my son in Baqubah. It’s very easy to burn 875 calories in one hour when you are working out fear and anger on that level.

By the time Bryan had finished BCT and was moving on to OCS I had already dropped 25+ pounds and was still losing and toning up. When I went to see him at graduation he wasn’t sure if I really looked that good, or if the prior months of Army smell and sleep deprivation were playing tricks on his mind. When I had noticed the look of shock on his face I whispered in his ear (lovingly of course) “you lucky cad!” That way he would know it was really me and not just a figment of his imagination.

The intense cardio workouts led me to start kick boxing, body sculpting and eventually led me to kettlebell workouts. It’s addictive for me. I picked up swimming a few months ago while I was nursing a stress fracture in my foot. I like it well enough, but I am ready to run. My motivation now is different. Bryan is home and recovered from his fast, furious and insane tango with Uncle Sam. He’s having an on-again, off-again, quasi-clandestine love/hate affair with the Army. That’s a blog entry that will be written in January (or so I suspect). Mike is settled in and tucked away with a new wife. He’s not scheduled for deployment for quite some time. Nate, my youngest son is Army ROTC bound and that starts in the Fall. It’s all pretty tame — FOR NOW.

My Blue Star flag is still flying right next to my American flag. I know that as long as there is a threat to the one, there will be a threat to the other. They both stand for something I love dearly, and something I could never bear to lose. As a family we all need to be ready “in season and out of season.”

1 Comment »

Full Honors for all KIA

December 16, 2008 By Troy
Posted in Veteran Benefits

Troy’s Note- This has been a long time coming. Do discriminate against enlisted soldiers in the 21st Century military was inexcusable and needed to be changed. I am glad to see DOD finally step up and make this change. We all bleed the same blood, we all make the same sacrifices. To provide the full honors to guys that decided to take a commission over soldiers who would rather be enlisted never made sense to me. The class system of our military ended ended back in the days of brown khakis and M-1 rifles.

From the Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Starting next year, the Army will provide full military honors for all soldiers killed in action when they are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

The change in policy means funerals for enlisted soldiers now will also include the horse-drawn caisson and other honors previously given only to certain soldiers such as officers and Medal of Honor recipients.

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Tuesday that the full honors also adds an escort platoon, a colors team and a band, whereas standard honors uses a firing party, bugler and chaplain.

The policy change applies only to Arlington because it is unique in having a caisson.

“Arlington National Cemetery is an expression of our nation’s reverence for those who served her in uniform, many making the ultimate sacrifice,” Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said in a statement released by the Army. “This new policy provides a common standard for honoring all soldiers killed in action.”

Though the full honors will be offered to families, it takes more time to arrange such services and so those who want the funerals more quickly are likely to decline. The full honors also will be arranged for members of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, if requested, officials said.

It will take effect early next year.

1 Comment »

Not sure I buy into it

December 15, 2008 By Troy
Posted in Military News

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSISL22613520081208

I will withhold my opinion for now. I am sure the 101st is doing great things in Afghanistan, but the comments in this article almost sound like the self-indulging comments made by BG Votel last winter about the 82nd. The US Army and coalition forces don’t sit back and relax in the winter. It is not like every winter has meant snow-angel making and snowball fights for the US soldiers in country.

The reason the fighting has been light in the winter is because there is typically nobody to fight. In most places, except Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz and other provinces in the southern end of the country, the Taliban and Taliban supported fighters head back across the border and spend their winters in Pakistan (this is also becuase many of the enemy are Pak-Mil, Pakistan ISI or at least supported by them). This is a known fact. They are fair-weather fighters. In the provinces mentioned above, many of the enemy live there, so they don’t go anywhere. This is why you have seen significant fighting in the winter months in these areas. Of course the violence is not as much as it is in the summer months, but it is still more than it is in other places around the country in the winter.

To imply that every other rotation has sat on their ass is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of troops that have walked the battlefields since 2001.

We did not have a lot of direct acti0n attacks in the winter months when I was there, becuase the Taliban’s mobility is hampered by the harsh elements in the winter time. They ride motorcycles or walk mostly and these are not feasible means of transportation in the winter. Many times they sleep out in the open, and this is not really possible or as easy in the winter. Even though we did not have as many attacks, we saw many more IEDs, suicide bombers and VBIEDs in the winter. We also used that time to conduct a lot more humanitarian assistance and medical assistance missions when the local people needed it most.

So before I say something negative about BG McConville’s comments as I have in the past about BG Votel’s comments, I will reserve judgment and see what happens. Maybe things have changed since 2 years ago, and maybe they have better intel and have a better game plan. Maybe!

If not, and if things happen this winter as they have in the past, I will be sure and throw the BS flag on this one.

No Comments »

Army Warrior of the Week – CW2 Jason Shumate

By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

On Sept. 18, 2008, Brig. Gen. James McConville, Combined Joint Task Force-101 Deputy Commander, awarded Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Shumate, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions on May 12, 2008 in Afghanistan.

On a crisp spring night, Chief Shumate lifted his CH-47D helicopter with a slingload of equipment off the tarmac of Bagram Air Base for a routine “Mountain Highway” resupply mission. While flying over the Gowardesh Valley, Chief Shumate and his crew suddenly felt the aircraft shudder violently when an RPG round struck at its rear. Reacting to the loss in power and flashing control panel lights, Chief Shumate intensely worked the controls as the helicopter dropped in altitude. Within seconds, he managed to stabilize the CH-47 and land it safely on a house rooftop in the valley. Chief Shumate was credited for saving the lives of his crew and minimizing further damage to the helicopter.

For his gallantry in action, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Shumate is this week’s Warrior-Soldier.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Shumate holds his award certificate with Brig. Gen. James McConville, Combined Joint Task Force-101 deputy commanding general-support and Regional Command-East. Shumate was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions as the pilot in command of a CH-47 which came under enemy fire in May. Photo by George Welcome, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

8 Comments »

Iraqi President Calls US Effort a Success

December 14, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests, Military News, News, Top Posts, Veteran Benefits

During a joint press conference between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, the latter took an opportunity to acknowledge the successes of our troops in Iraq and the efforts of the American people to guarantee freedoms to the country.

“We have succeeded in Iraq,” Mr. Maliki said at the signing of the Strategic Framework Agreement and Security Agreement. “And we hope that efforts also around the world will succeed in defeating terrorism.”

Earlier in the day Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi from Al-Baghdadia channel which broadcasts from Cairo hurled his stinky footwear at the President and called him a “dog”. The video has been broadcast on just about every station. But, what wasn’t broadcast was the subsequent apologies to President Bush by other Iraqi journalists in the room.

“Thanks for apologizing on behalf of the Iraqi people,” President Bush replied in a classic show of maturity and strength. “It doesn’t bother me. If you want the facts, it was a size 10 shoe that he threw”.

Isn’t it interesting that for the past five years the liberals have been calling for a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. At a time when we would have left our heads in shame had the President followed their ignorant guidance, he remained strong and understood the stakes. Now, those same people seek to cast the recent vote to withdraw troops as proof the Iraqi people don’t want us there instead of an admission that we have succeeded in getting rid of Saddam and bringing peace to the country. Had it not been for us that man that threw the shoe would be hung by a thick rope or, at the very least, tortured to death.

Mr. Maliki went on to tell anyone listening that “Iraq no longer represents a threat to world peace and security.” For decades, the entire Middle East feared what Saddam’s next move might be. His neighbors maintained a constant vigil and the entire world walked on eggshells hoping they weren’t forced into another confrontation. No longer is that the case.

Responding to questions about “Shoegate”, the President noted that many of the Iraqis in attendance noted that the deranged man doesn’t “represent the Iraqi people.” Since the “Iraqi” man was a journalist for a station in Cairo, it speaks volumes. It’s also proof that Iraq if truly now a free society, though threats of violence are not to be welcome in free societies.

1 Comment »

Christmas Comes to U.S. Troops in Iraq & Afghanistan

December 13, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

Move America Forward, the nation’s largest pro-troop grassroots organization, is conducting a nationwide tour to support sending care packages to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“With Americans focused on the economic problems facing our country, we have to ensure that our troops in harm’s way are not forgotten during the Christmas and Hanukkah holiday season,” said Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward.

Traveling on the tour will be Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, – whose son Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy S.E.A.L. killed in Iraq. Lee said, “I remember his feelings of pride for serving our country, but also the loneliness troops endure during the holiday season. Instead of celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah with their families, many military men and women will be spending the holidays this year protecting our freedom in far off lands.”

To show the nation’s gratitude and support, Move America Forward’s Debbie Lee and singer/songwriter Diana Nagy (who will perform her hit song “Where Freedom Flies” at each stop) will be on the road encouraging people to send care packages from December 13 – December 19.

Last year, MAF toured the country during the holiday season to collect holiday cards for the troops with the goal of sending 100,000 holiday cards. They collected more than double that amount and hope Americans will show the same support this year by purchasing care packages in which sponsors can write individual notes to show their support. Packages include gourmet Artisan Coffee and Cornerstone Coffee, Oreo Cookies and Jelly Belly jelly beans made famous by President Ronald Reagan.

For those who are not on the tour route, care packages can be purchased online and individual notes can still be included. Orders can be placed by going to the website: www.MoveAmericaForward.com and clicking on the “Coffee and Cookies for our Troops” icon.

ITINERARY

Sacramento, CA on 12/13
Las Vegas, NV on 12/14
Phoenix, AZ on 12/14
El Paso, TX on 12/15
San Antonio, TX on 12/16
Austin, TX on 12/16
Houston, TX on 12/17
Baton Rouge, LA on 12/18
Mobile, AL on 12/18
Tallahassee, FL on 12/19
Jacksonville, FL on 12/19

No Comments »

10 Silver Stars for Soldiers

By CJ
Posted in Military News, Why We Serve

By KEVIN MAURER

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Capt. Kyle Walton remembers pressing himself into the jagged stones that covered the cliff in northeast Afghanistan.

Machine gun rounds and sniper fire ricocheted off the rocks. Two rounds slammed into his helmet, smashing his head into the ground. Nearby, three of his U.S. Army Special Forces comrades were gravely wounded. One grenade or a well-aimed bullet, Walton thought, could etch April 6, 2008 on his gravestone.

Walton and his team from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group had been sent to kill or capture terrorists from a rugged valley that had never been penetrated by U.S. forces — or, they had been told, the Soviets before them.

He peered over the side of the cliff to the dry river bed 60 feet below and considered his options. Could he roll the wounded men off and then jump to safety? Would they survive the fall?

By the end of the six-hour battle deep within the Shok Valley, Walton would bear witness to heroics that on Friday would earn his team 10 Silver Stars, the most awarded for a single battle since the start of the war and possibly the most since the Vietnam War, although Army officials couldn’t confirm that. An Air Force controller who was not formally part of the unit but supported the mission by guiding air strikes from the ground also earned a Silver Star.

Walton, a Special Forces team leader, and his men described the battle in an interview with The Associated Press last week. Most seem unimpressed they’ve earned the Army’s third-highest award for combat valor.

“This is the story about Americans fighting side-by-side with their Afghan counterparts refusing to quit,” said Walton, of Carmel, Ind. “What awards come in the aftermath are not important to me.”

The mission that sent three Special Forces teams and a company from the 201st Afghan Commando Battalion to the Shok Valley seemed imperiled from the outset.

Six massive CH-47 Chinook helicopters had deposited the men earlier that morning, banking through thick clouds as they entered the valley. The approaching U.S. soldiers watched enemy fighters racing to positions dug into the canyon walls and to sniper holes carved into stone houses perched at the top of the cliff.

Considered a sanctuary of the Hezeb Islami al Gulbadin terrorist group, the valley is far from any major American base.

It was impossible for the helicopters to land on the jagged rocks at the bottom of the valley. The Special Forces soldiers and commandos, each carrying more than 60 pounds of gear, dropped from 10 feet above the ground, landing among boulders or in a near-frozen stream.

With several Afghan commandos, Staff Sgt. John Walding and Staff Sgt. David Sanders led the way on a narrow path that zig-zagged up the cliff face to a nearby village where the terrorists were hiding.

Walton followed with two other soldiers and a 23-year-old Afghan interpreter who went by the name C.K., an orphan who dreamed of going to the United States.

Walding and Sanders were on the outskirts of the village when Staff Sgt. Luis Morales saw a group of armed men run along a nearby ridge. He fired. The surrounding mountains and buildings erupted in an ambush: The soldiers estimate that more than 200 fighters opened up with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and AK-47s.

C.K. crumbled to the ground.

Walton and Spc. Michael Carter dove into a small cave. Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr couldn’t fit so the Rock Island, Ill., native dropped to one knee and started firing. An F-15 made a strafing run to push back the fighters, but it wasn’t enough.

Sanders radioed for close air support — an order that Walton had to verify because the enemy was so near that the same bombs could kill the Americans.

The nearest house exploded; the firing didn’t stop.

“Hit it again,” Sanders said.

For the rest of the battle, F-15 fighters and Apache helicopters attacked.

Behr was hit next — a sniper’s round passing through his leg. Morales knelt on Behr’s hip to stop the bleeding and kept firing until he, too, was hit in the leg and ankle.

Walton and Carter, a combat cameraman from Smithville, Texas, dragged the two wounded men to the cave. Gunfire had destroyed Carter’s camera so Walton put him to work treating Morales who, in turn, kept treating Behr.

Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer, a medic from Pullman, Wash., fought his way up the cliff to help.

“Heard some guys got hit up here,” he said as he reached the cave, pulling bandages and gear from his aid bag.

Walton told Walding and Sanders to abandon the assault and meet on the cliff. The Americans and Afghan commandos pulled back as the Air Force continued to pound the village.

Walding made it to the cliff when a bullet shattered his leg. He watched his foot and lower leg flop on the ground as Walton dragged him to the cliff edge. With every heartbeat, a stream of blood shot out of Walding’s wound. Rolling on his back, the Groesbeck, Texas, native, asked for a tourniquet and cranked down until the bleeding stopped.

The soldiers were trapped against the cliff. Walton was sure his men would be overrun. The narrow path was too exposed. He sent Sanders to find another way down. Sometimes free-climbing the rock face, the Huntsville, Ala., native found a steep path and made his way back up. Could the wounded make it out alive? Walton asked.

“Yes, they’ll survive,” Sanders said.

Down below, Staff Sgt. Seth E. Howard took his sniper rifle and started climbing with Staff Sgt. Matthew Williams.

At the top, Howard used C.K.’s lifeless body for cover and started to shoot. He fired repeatedly, killing as many as 20 of their attackers, his comrades say. The enemy gunfire slowed. The Air Force bombing continued, providing cover.

Morales was first down the cliff, clutching branches and rocks as he slid. Sanders, Carter and Williams went up to get Behr, then back up to rescue Walding. As Walton climbed down, a 2,000-pound bomb hit a nearby house. Another strike nearly blew Howard off the cliff.

Helicopters swooped in to pick up the 15 wounded American and Afghan soldiers, as well as the rest of the teams. Bullets pinged off the helicopters. One hit a pilot.

All the Americans survived.

Months later, Walding wants back on the team even though he lost a leg. Morales walks with a cane.

The raid, the soldiers say, proved there will be no safe haven in Afghanistan for terrorists. As for the medals, the soldiers see them as emblems of teamwork and brotherhood. Not valor.

“When you go to help your buddy, you’re not thinking, ‘I am going to get a Silver Star for this,’” Walding said. “If you were there, there would not be a second guess on why.”

No Comments »

Thank You, President Bush (Part V)

December 11, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized

In Part V of my series of posts thanking President Bush for the past eight years I will focus on drugs and education and children. I think I’ve finally exhausted most of the military and national security successes and progress that can be attributed to our outgoing President. Now, with a new announcement today, I’d like to shift gears to some civilian issues.

Today, President Bush announced new data that demonstrates continued progress reducing illegal drug availability and use since 2001. New youth drug use data from the Monitoring the Future Study showed continued reductions in overall youth drug use over the past seven years, and new law enforcement and workplace drug test data show a significant disruption in the cocaine market.

President Bush implemented a national drug control strategy to combat teen drug use, which helped reduce illicit drug use among teens by 25 percent since 2001. Through the PROTECT Act, he strengthened law enforcement’s ability to prevent, investigate, and punish child exploitation crimes, abolishing the statute of limitations for crimes involving the abduction or physical or sexual abuse of a child. He also established a nationally-coordinated AMBER Alert Program, which has helped save nearly 400 children nationwide.

President Bush combated sexual crimes against children with the Internet Crimes Against Children program (more than 13,750 suspects arrested since January 2001) and the Innocence Lost Initiative, a joint Federal and State effort to prevent child prostitution (more than 575 children rescued, more than 300 defendants convicted). Federal prosecutions of child predators in Fiscal Year 2008 posted a 33 percent increase over Fiscal Year 2006. He greatly expanded the national network of Department of Justice-funded Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, now numbering 59, that investigate computer-facilitated child sexual exploitation. President Bush launched Project Safe Childhood to further protect children from exploitation over the Internet by coordinating law enforcement efforts to prosecute online predators.

President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which expanded the National Sex Offender Registry, strengthened Federal penalties for crimes against children, and made it harder for predators to reach children on the Internet. He also created the Helping America’s Youth initiative. Led by Mrs. Bush, the program develops resources to connect caring adults with young people, particularly at-risk boys, through Help Americas Youth.

Now, President Bush has gotten a lot of crap about the “failure” of the No Child Left Behind act. Results of tests scores are from the National Educational Assessment of Educational Progress Source. Apart from the fact that I don’t think the Federal government belongs ANYWHERE in the STATE business of educating children, he doesn’t get enough credit for successes in the unconstitutional educational initiatives he DID push and sign. What I mean by this is that the constitution does NOT give the Federal government authority for national education. It’s a waste of Federal money that could be better spent at the state level.

President Bush transformed the Federal government’s approach to education through No Child Left Behind, which held schools accountable for helping every student, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, succeed. No Child Left Behind has helped fourth and eighth graders achieve the highest math scores on record, increased the percentage of first-grade students reading at grade level in 44 of 50 States, and enabled African-American and Hispanic students to post all-time highs in several categories.

He gave parents the opportunity to choose a better public school, a tutor, or a public charter school if their child’s school did not improve. He provided funding to more than half of all public charter schools in the country to expand alternatives for students in struggling schools; since 2000, the number of charter schools in the United States has more than doubled. Additionally, he established the D.C. Opportunity Scholarships program, the first Federal school-choice program, which allows families to choose a private or religious school if it better meets their child’s needs. At the end of the 2007-08 school year, had provided more than 2,600 low-income children with up to $7,500 to attend the private school of their choice.

President Bush increased the percentage of highly qualified teachers in classrooms from 87 percent in the 2003-04 school year to 94 percent in the 2006-07 school year. He created the $100 million Teacher Incentive Fund, which rewards teachers who improve student achievement in high-need school districts. He proposed, and Congress enacted, an “adjunct teacher corps” of math and science professionals who can bring their expertise directly to American classrooms.

Finally, President Bush provided a record $95 billion in new grants, loans, and work-study assistance to help nearly 11 million students and their families obtain the benefits of post-secondary education. He more than doubled the funding for Pell Grants to help 5.8 million students – 1.5 million more than in 2001 – and increased the maximum award to the highest level ever.

And all this he did swimming upstream against a relentless current of opposition and hatred from the left in this country in their mad grab for power. Will the media pick up on these successes? Let’s see.

7 Comments »

President Awards Presidential Citizens Medal to Patriots

December 10, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Life in the Military, Military News

The Presidential Citizens Medal was established in November 13, 1969, to recognize U.S. citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for the nation. It is one of the highest honors the President can confer upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Today, the President presented twenty-three individuals with the Presidential Citizens Medal and one award posthumously. I haven’t seen this anywhere in the media, so I wanted to highlight a few of the heroes that were honored.

General Wayne A. Downing, USA (Ret.) – General Downing graduated from Westpoint in 1962 and shipped to Vietnam in December 1964. After the attacks of September 11th, he became the National Director and Deputy National Security Adviser for combating terrorism. His awards and decorations include two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, four Legions of Merit, the Soldier’s Medal, seven Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal, and four Army Commendation Medals. General Downing also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Ranger Tab and the Pathfinder Badge.

General Downing was an American hero who stepped forward to help defend our Nation and uphold the ideals of our founding. He answered history’s call with honor, decency, and resolve, and he earned the respect and admiration of a grateful Nation. The United States honors Wayne Downing for his selfless service that continues to inspire us as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world. Mr. Downing passed away in July 2007.

Arnold Fisher – By devoting his time and talents to his fellow veterans, Arnold Fisher has helped America fulfill its obligations to those who have defended our freedom. He joined the Army in 1953 and served 18 months in Korea. After an Honorable Discharge in 1954, he began his career in the family business.

He is active in many philanthropic causes, especially the Veterans Bedside Network and the development of the Vietnam Memorial in Westchester County. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hall of Honor (Home of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society abroad the U.S.S. Intrepid moored in New York Harbor.) He is currently a member of the Board for the New York Chapter of the USO. The Fisher family also runs the Fisher House Foundation, which provides lodging to help the loved ones of injured military personnel stay nearby while the servicemember recovers.

In 2006, Arnold Fisher established the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides funds to the families of servicemen and women who have given their lives fighting the War on Terror. This is cause I have raised over $4000 for through They Have Names. All money collected through the site above and beyond operating costs go to the Fund.

That’s in the noble tradition of the Fisher Armed Services Foundation, which has given millions to the survivors of soldiers who fell to hostile fire, including the families of the 241 Marines killed in Beirut in 1983 by Hezbollah terrorists.

His compassion and dedication to our military families reflect the best of the American spirit. The United States honors Arnold Fisher for his service to our country’s veterans and their families and for demonstrating the generous and grateful heart of America.

Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.) – As a decorated military leader and innovative public servant, Admiral James Watkins exemplifies the American ideals of courage, character, and ingenuity. He has received the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two gold award stars, Bronze Star with Combat V device, China Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars, and has been decorated and honored by several other nations including receiving the United Nations Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and decorations from Brazil, Korea, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Pakistan and Sweden.

He has brought great skill and determination to all of his duties and demonstrated a patriot’s devotion to our country. The United States honors James Watkins for his distinguished and varied public service.

Gary Sinise – Gary Sinise is a humanitarian and a patriot. Working alongside our military and reaching out a compassionate hand to Iraqi children, he is helping a society once brutalized by a tyrant to rebuild and realize the great blessings of liberty. He has also traveled the world to show America’s gratitude to our service members.

Mr. Sinise co-founded Operation Iraqi Children in 2004 to give concerned Americans a way to reach out to war-stricken Iraqi children and support American troops in their efforts to assist them. Since its inception, OIC has delivered to Iraq over 200,000 school supply kits, along with more than half a million toys and thousands of Arabic-language books, shoes, blankets, backpacks and sets of sports equipment, all of which have been distributed to Iraqi children by our troops.

He has gone out of his way to tell the American military member’s story by visiting the combat zone on multiple occasions to boost morale and talk to the troops one on one. He can be seen often visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed and other military hospitals. The United States honors Gary Sinise for his efforts to improve the human condition and his strong commitment to the selfless men and women who devote their lives to military service.

6 Comments »