WolfEagle1499's blog: "Heroes"

acidous

@ fubar Crash kills young firefighter
imikimi - Customize Your World by Michaelangelo Conte Friday September 14, 2007, 6:09 PM A 25-year-old Jersey City firefighter left behind a 2-month-old daughter when he died from injuries suffered in a collision on his motorcycle in the Jersey City Heights yesterday near his home, officials said. Eduardo Pena, 25, of Sherman Place off Summit Avenue died as a result of injuries suffered in the collision at Kennedy Boulevard at Thorne Street, Fire Director Armando Roman said this morning. The firefighter was conscious and coherent when first brought to the hospital. "They were working feverishly to stabilize him and they rushed him into surgery but he had serious internal injuries and he took a turn for the worse,'' Roman said. "He was on full life support when he died around 2 a.m." "This was a stand up kid all around," Roman said this morning. "He was a very dedicated member of this department. It's a very big loss for not only the fire department's family but the citizens that would have benefited from his service." A witness said that at the time of the accident Pena was going north on Kennedy Boulevard and the Toyota Rav4 driven by 51-year-old Moti Patel of Thorne Street was heading south, reports said. The Toyota turned left, clipping the rear wheel of the rear wheel of Pena's motorcycle causing it to go into a spin, reports said. Pena was thrown from the bike and struck a parked car, officials said. Patel said he saw the motorcycle about a half block to a block away at the time he turned and said it was traveling at least 40 miles an hour, reports said, adding that Patel said the motorcycle struck his car as he turned. Pena served a one year tour in Iraq. A graduate of Hudson Catholic High School, he was a Jersey City native and lifelong resident. "We've lost an outstanding young man who was raised in Jersey City by a fine, loving family and who had just started his own family,'' Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "He was well-respected and much loved by the firefighters he worked with and will be greatly missed by everyone." Healy said his son, Firefighter Patrick Healy, and Pena were childhood friends who played baseball together at Pershing Field in Little League and in the Babe Ruth league. "We are all grieving for the Pena family," Healy said. (repost of original by Heartsound-President of The Hug Brigade-Fubar has lost another hero!
Please repost the following Bulletin: http://fubar.com/bulletins.php?b=749320419

Have you heard about the trucker who has painted his cab and trailer with the names of all those who lost their lives in 9/11 ? The trucker's name is John Holmgren from Shafer, Minn. He has been "pulled over" numerous times just so the troopers can get their picture taken with the truck. (scroll down to see the pictures) KEEP THIS GOING SO ALL CAN SEE.

This website was brought to my attention. It's a mothers' tribute to her son who was killed in Najaf Iraq 05/30/2004 http://ltkenballard.com/ Ken was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, October 22, 2004 at 2 p.m. His gravesite is located in Section 60, Site 8006 • This is a nice Tribute to one of this Country's Fallen Heroes!!! God Bless Ken's Mother, She is now one of our Gold Star Mother's

One picture is worth a thousand words
(UNCLASSIFIED) I did not realize just how badly we are hated by others. I am so thankful that we still have warriors that are willing to give up everything for someone they don't even know. That is the true definition of a HERO. The enemy is here. To those of you who have served, thank you, and for those of you who are now serving, thank you. Semper Fi. To all in our Military and their families - God Bless. So many different emotions about this war.....Lord, May YOUR will be done...... It's been said that one picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is this one worth? This amazing picture has drawn a lot of comments from readers of the Nashville paper, The Tennessean. See Jay's letter below. Dear Tennessean: The Tennessean's April 5 photograph of young Christian Golczynski accepting the American flag from Marine Lt. Col. Ric Thompson is one of the most moving and emotion provoking images I have ever seen. My wife and I attended funeral services for Christian's father, Staff Sergeant Marcus Golczynski, on April 4, along with our six year-old son, dozens of Marines, and several hundred others who came to pay tribute to this fallen hero. As one would expect, many of your readers were touched by this incredible picture. Staff Sergeant Golczynski had previously served one full tour in Iraq . Shortly before his death on March 27 he wrote to his family that he had volunteered to do this a second time due to our deep desire to finish the job we started. In his letter he said, "We fight and sometimes die so that our families don't have to." Tragically, Staff Sergeant Golczynski had only two weeks remaining on his second tour. We look at the photograph of Christian every day. It is displayed prominently in our home. Our hearts ache for Christian and for all those who have lost loved ones in this controversial conflict. Our nation is at a historical crossroads. Do we call an end to the struggle in Iraq or press on? Staff Sergeant Golczynski eloquently told his son how he felt about not giving up. Perhaps there is a lesson for all of us in this man's life and the choices he made. He was undeniably a man of tremendous courage and conviction. America must now choose whether to complete the job. When looking at the face of Christian Golczynski I am reminded that doing what is right is not always easy and doing what is easy is not always right. Christian's dad knew that too. James Drescher Franklin , TN The Constitution of the US does NOT guarantee us the right NOT to be offended.

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns ------ All three missed it --- This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance Very fascinating. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. 2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1 3. Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle. 4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. 5. How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. 6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30." Other equirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, {the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930. God Bless and keep them SAFE. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve. IN GOD WE TRUST ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following from www.snopes.com ~Feldar We acknowledge our unidentified fallen heroes with a special place of reverence in our most honored of burial grounds: the Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), where in 1921 we first laid to rest "In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God." Although we cannot inter all of our unidentifed war dead in Arlington, we nonetheless honor them all by including the remains of three representative soldiers of unknown identity who died in foreign wars (World War I, World War II, and the Korean War) there. (Beginning in 1984 the tomb also held the remains of a serviceman killed in the Vietnam War, but after DNA testing his identity in 1998, his remains were disinterred and returned to his family. The crypt of the Vietnam Unknown has remained empty ever since.) The most visible honorific symbol associated with the Tomb of the Unknowns is that the site is guarded around the clock, every day of the year, by specially trained members of the Third United States Infantry Regiment, the ‘Old Guard’. The Sentinels who guard the Tomb must be exemplary in discipline, dress, and bearing; thoroughly knowlegeable with the history of their unit, the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery (and those interred there), and the U.S. Army; and able to execute a variety of ceremonial rites flawlessly and with precision. Someone apparently wanted to highlight the special qualities and training required to be a guard at Tomb of the Unknowns by creating the widely-circulated message quoted above, a list mixing fact and fiction which we'll try to sort out below: 1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?

21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. The guards do make 21-step walks past the Tomb of the Unknowns because 21 is considered a number of special significance.
2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?

21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1. This is a somewhat true but incomplete statement. The guard does not execute an about-face, and there is more involved in the procedure than is described here. As another site describes the process, the guard performs his movements according to the following pattern: The sentinel marches 21 steps across the black mat, past the final resting places of the Unknown Soldiers of World War I, World War II, Korea, and the crypt of the Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War. With a crisp turn, the sentinel turns 90 degrees (not about-face) to face east for 21 seconds. The sentinel then turns a sharp 90 degrees again to face north for 21 seconds. A crisp "shoulder-arms" movement places the rifle on the shoulder nearest the visitors to signify that the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat. After the moment, the sentinel paces 21 steps north, turns and repeats the process.
3. Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle. According to the FAQ on the web site of the Society of the Honor Guard — Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, this is correct.
4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb After his march across the path, he executes an about face, and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. As noted above, the guard shifts his rifle prior to each 21-step walk to ensure that it is always carried on his outside shoulder, the one away from the Tomb ("to signify that the sentinel stands between the tomb and any threat").
5. How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. From 1926 through 1937, the Tomb was guarded only during daylight hours. Ever since 1937, the Tomb has been continuously guarded 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Tomb guards are changed every thirty minutes between 8 AM and 7 PM during the period from early Spring to early Autumn (April 1 through September 30), and every hour between 8 AM to 5 PM the rest of the year. At all other times (i.e., while the cemetery is closed), the guard is changed every two hours.
6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10" and 6' 2" tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30. This is also true, according to the ANC web site, which notes that "Each soldier must be in superb physical condition, possess an unblemished military record and be between 5 feet,10 inches and 6 feet,4 inches tall, with a proportionate weight and build."
They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. Even the Old Guard doesn't regulate the off-duty lives of its members so stringently!

Sentinels at the Tomb do not have to commit to serving there for any fixed period of time, and the average tour of duty is only about half the two year period claimed here. Like most servicemen, Tomb guards may live either on-base (at nearby Fort Myer or off-base in housing of their choosing. There are no restrictions on guards' off-duty drinking.
They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform (fighting) or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. The Tomb Guard Identification Badge, first awarded in 1957, is a honor for which a guard qualifies by "flawlessly performing his duty for several months" and passing a test, not something simply handed out to everyone who serves for a given period of time:
Once the sentinel has completed his or her training, he or she is examined formally for proficiency in performing the duties and in knowledge of ANC. He or she must first pass a written examination of 100 questions about ANC and then be evaluated on proficiency in keeping watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Upon successful completion, the soldier is awarded a temporary Tomb Guard's Badge at a ceremony presided over by the company commander. The Badge is one of the Army's higher honors and can be taken away from the soldier if he or she does not continue to maintain the highest military standards. The 500th Tomb Guard Identification Badge was awarded in early 2002, and the total number of recipients is now about 525. The award is, as its name states, a badge worn on the pocket of a uniform jacket, not a pin worn in the lapel.

Although the claim that guards "cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives" is fallacious, there is some truth to the notion that the Tomb Guard Identification Badge can be taken away, even after the recipient has left the service. According to Old Guard Public Affairs: The Tomb Guard Identification Badge is one of the least awarded badges in the Army, second only to the Astronaut Badge. Since the sentinels are held to such a high standard, if they ever do anything that is deemed behavior unbecoming a Tomb Guard or brings dishonor upon the Tomb, their badges may be revoked, even after [the sentinels] have left active duty military service. As of early 2002, there had been nine revocations of the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The FAQ at www.tombguard.org also addresses this topic:
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

The shoes are standard issue military dress shoes. They are built up so the sole and heel are equal in height. This allows the Sentinel to stand so that his back is straight and perpendicular to the ground. A side effect of this is that the Sentinel can "roll" on the outside of the build up as he walks down the mat. This allows him to move in a fluid fashion. If he does this correctly, his hat and bayonet will appear to not "bob" up and down with each step. It gives him a more formal and smooth look to his walk, rather than a "marching" appearance.

The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a "horseshoe" steel plate on the heel. This prevents wear on the sole and allows the Sentinel to move smoothly during his movements when he turns to face the Tomb and then back down the mat. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. A Tomb guard's behavior is not so stringently regulated that he is prohibited from speaking to anyone for a full six months (someone seems to have confused the Old Guard with a monastery!), and guards may do whatever they want (including watching TV) during their off-duty hours. But since any soldier wishing to become a sentinel must undergo rigorous training, including several hours a day of marching, rifle drill and uniform preparation, and every tomb sentinel is expected to be completely versed in the history of both the tomb and of Arlington National Cemetery (including knowing how to find the graves of all the prominent person buried in the cemetery), they don't necessarily have a lot of free time to devote to recreational activities.
Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer), and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood fame. Joe Louis (aka "The Brown Bomber"), Heavyweight Champion of the World between 1937 and 1949, is the boxer interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Joe E. Lewis, the comedian, is buried in New Jersey.) Although Joe Louis served in the Army during World War II he did not meet the technical requirements for burial at Arlington, but he is interred there because President Reagan waived the requirements when Louis died in 1981.

We close here with a bit of trivia suggested by the above item:

Although serving as President of the United States qualifies one to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, only two former Presidents are interred there - William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy

Medal of Honor for Scio Marine

The nation's highest military honor was awarded posthumously today to Corporal Jason Dunham, a Marine from Scio, New York.


Marine Corporal Jason Dunham

Click here to send Cpl. Dunham's family a message

The messages will be posted in the WNY Pictures of Pride page.

The following is a brief description from the Pentagon of what Cpl. Dunham did to earn the Medal of Honor.



Medal of Honor presentation



From the Pentagon:

Cpl. Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, on April 14, 2004, when a nearby convoy returning to base was ambushed.

Hearing gunfire, Dunham and his squad rushed over to help suppress the attack. He led a team a few blocks south of the immediate ambush site and ordered his squad to block seven vehicles attempting to leave.

As they approached, an Iraqi insurgent jumped out of one of the vehicles and grabbed Dunham by the throat. As Dunham fought the enemy hand-to-hand, two Marines moved in to help.

Dunham noticed that the enemy fighter had a grenade in his hand, and ordered his Marines to move back as he wrestled the insurgent to the ground. The enemy dropped the live grenade and without hesitating Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet, covered the grenade with it, and threw himself on top to smother the blast.

Dunham's actions saved the lives of the other two Marines. Dunham will be the second serviceman and first Marine in the Global War on Terror to receive the Medal of Honor.

In 2004, Schumer wrote to the President asking him to bestow the Nation's highest military honor on the native New Yorker. Senator Schumer released this statement today:

"Corporal Dunham unflinchingly gave what Lincoln deemed 'the last full measure of devotion' and his heroism reflects the true spirit of selflessness, leadership, and courage that the Medal of Honor was established to recognize. Corporal Dunham laid down his life by shielding members of his unit from danger by throwing himself on a live grenade, an act of unbelievable bravery and selflessness that saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. I was proud to support his nomination and want to personally congratulate his family on behalf of all New Yorkers."



Watch the Medal Ceremony



Interview with the Dunham Family


I want to PLEASE ask everyone that reads this to take a Moment to send a Message to Cpl Dunham Family.


Thanks,



David