Indiana Patriot Guard

Thanks!

2009-02-20T18:11:00.002-05:00

Thanks!

Goes to all of you.

Earlier this month I was having lunch with my wife. A busy north side eatery with all of the normal comings and goings. About half way through my sandwich, a man approached rather hesitantly. As he neared he apologized for interrupting and said,

“I’m a local pastor. I have been involved in several funerals that you guys have attended. I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to the families. Thank you.”

With my mouth still half full (doesn’t it always happen that way) and a large lump forming rather quickly in my throat, I eek ed out the words, “it is our honor, thank you.” And we shook hands.

With that he walked away. That was it. No long conversation, no exchanging of names. I could see in his eyes he was fighting back the emotions we are all so familiar with so I didn’t try to stop him. I’m not sure I could have talked anyway.

I just wanted all of you to know that it wasn’t me personally he was thanking, it was you. That day, I just happened to be wearing an Indiana PGR shirt, so I received your thanks.

Again, I say to each and every one of you, THANK YOU, from the families. For taking a few hours to stand a flag line, for everything.

Happy New Year 2009

2008-12-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T09:49:00.001-05:00

Care Packages

2008-12-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

We send a lot of packages to the troops. Our frustration with the USPS, expense, and delays are well documented.

How about the other side? Ever wonder what the troops think about the ‘delay’ in getting care packages. How about 368 days? Yes, one year, 3 days.

‘Vampire’, (“15 years light infantry experience, currently serving as a Team Chief for an Embedded Training Team with the Afghan National Army” according to his bio) has a very entertaining take on the whole mail call situation.

Click here - “Tooth Fairy and Mail (Two things that don't exist)”, have a read. As always, you can leave a comment, I’m sure he’d get a kick out of having a bunch of IPGR folks comment on his blog.

ht to LL at ChromeCurses and thanks for letting me steal this post.

Touching The Face of Grace

2008-11-21T08:53:00.001-05:00

I found this at CJ’s place, A Soldiers Perspective. CJ found it at the American Legion webpage.

So many times, there are things that need saying and I wish I could. Then I come across someone else that has said them in terms I could not. This is one of those times.

God bless our troops, God bless our local police forces, God bless the firemen and women.

And Thank You!

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

On Sept. 16, Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., introduced the following essay into the Congressional Record. Written by Mitchell L. Hubbard of Winchester, Va., it tells of his son’s experiences while deployed to Iraq.

“His son’s story should make us all think about our armed forces, as well as the police and first responders, who risk so much to serve us every day,” Wolf said.

Hubbard’s essay follows:

“Whatever your political take on the war in Iraq, nothing can alter it more than having a loved one in the midst of it. Nor is anyone’s current perspective balanced until they hear at least some things from a soldier’s point of view.

“My wife and I learned these truths when our son, a 2004 Handley graduate, decided to join the Army in 2006. His reasoning was simple: he wasn’t comfortable knowing that thousands of others his age were sacrificing their own freedoms to protect his. When he signed up to join those thousands, it changed our perspective as well.

“Up to that point, it had always been other people’s sons and daughters doing the fighting. Now it would be our own child. Naturally, no one wants their child to volunteer to go in harm’s way for freedom’s sake. It was something of a conviction, though, when my wife and I had to ask ourselves why it shouldn’t be our own son in the Middle East, why we should be spared the rituals of anxiety, prayer, hope and waiting that tens of thousands of other families over here have already endured.

“In early June, we flew to Fort Hood, Texas, to see our son deploy for a 15-month tour in Iraq. Again, one’s perspective is limited until one attends a deploying ceremony for a unit of soldiers. Spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends, all crowding a gym, all clinging closely to their treasures in uniform, accompanied by flags, prayers, cheers and tears. Our son had joined a ‘band of brothers.’ My wife and I had joined the ‘band of others’ who would be waiting at home. Both those going, and those left behind, carry the war on terror in a personal way.

“Still, those of us left behind need to see something of what our soldiers see, and not only what is offered us in the news. To that end, here is one story our son, Luke, shared with us by phone that must be shared with anyone who claims an interest in what our soldiers are doing in the Middle East.

“Stationed outside a city on the Tigris River, Luke had accompanied his colonel into town as part of a security team, while the colonel spoke with a local sheik. While standing guard, Luke noticed a woman approaching from behind and cautiously turned in her direction, his rifle at the ready.

“An interpreter told our son it was OK – the woman just wanted to touch a soldier. Still uneasy, Luke stood still while the woman reached out her hand and touched his face, tears in her eyes.

“Looking to the interpreter for meaning, our son was told that the woman simply ‘wanted to touch the face of grace.’ It seems this trembling woman, like most of the people in her town, looked upon our soldiers as angels of grace, sent by God to protect her from the violence and oppression her people had come to know up to then. Learning this, our son squeezed and kissed the woman’s hand, and she left, weeping.

“The ‘face of grace.’ How many of us, safe at home debating the politics of the war on terror, have ever seen our soldiers in such a light? How many of us have even read such an uplifting newspaper account of our soldiers?

“To be sure, our soldiers are not virtuous simply by being soldiers. At home in their ‘civvies’ they are as un-angelic as the rest of us. Yet when they voluntarily get into ‘full battle rattle’ (as they call their battle gear) in a hot and hostile land, their job is both protective and sacrificial – as angelic a purpose as humans can take on.

“People like this woman, having suffered years of oppression and fear, have eyes and a heart to see this, and the desire to “‘touch the face of grace.’ Do we have the ability to see our soldiers in the same way? And not merely our soldiers: Can we see the ‘face of grace’ in the police who protect us in every town, day and night? Or in the fire and rescue teams who are ‘soldiers’ in their own right?

“My wife and I obviously pray that our son and his ‘band of brothers’ will come safely home to their personal ‘band of others.’ After listening to our son’s experience, though, we have added the prayer that Americans in every community will be given the eyes and heart to see the ‘Face of Grace’ in all who protect our lives and freedoms – especially in soldiers like our son.”

Thankful - VIII

2008-11-18T13:55:00.001-05:00

The 3,000 troops we sent off to Iraq in January are beginning to return home. The first group of 100 returned to the New Indianapolis International terminal. Over about the next 30-45 days, they will all be home. I am thankful that a great majority have returned or are returning safely.

Companionship of a dog(s). I know, seems kind of shallow. This is definitely one of those “if you don’t understand, I can’t explain” kind of things.

40 + years. Yea, the day is near. Another year older. It’s been a good run. Here’s to another 40!

And here’s to another 10, click here to donate to Jim and Flo... and God bless you.

Veterans Day

2008-11-11T08:42:00.003-05:00

Here in Indianapolis, on 82nd street. Near the Castleton Square Mall.

A billboard.

Says it all.

Thank you!

If you are here for the first time or it has been a while, click the “Shout it Out” link below. Please introduce yourself, tell us your branch of service and years served.

Again, God bless and thank you!

Thankful - VII

2008-11-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

Almost forgot again.

1 - My brain. Which seems to be failing me in it’s capacity to remember things like this. Seriously though, my health. Yeah I know it is a repeat but I’ve seen things in the past week that make me appreciate the good health I have.

2 - luck... I don’t know what else to call it. A friend has had a run in with the law. DUI. Blew a 0.08. That’s right on the line. I’d almost guarantee I’ve crossed it. I’m SO thankful I’ve been lucky. And thankful to Larry for sharing his story and waking me up. I won’t cross that line again.

PSA - If you drink, please don’t drive. - Thanks!

3 - Attitude. Yea, I got one. So do some of my coworkers. The verbal jabbing is a stress reliever. Makes the day pass quicker. Most of my coworkers are fantastic. For that, I am thankful.

Semper Fi

2008-11-10T11:35:00.002-05:00

There is a birthday today

U. S. M. C.

223 years today.

Happy birthday Marines!

More here.

The 8th of November

2008-11-06T10:53:00.001-05:00

Please take the time to remember them this November 8th....

h/t to Orphan

Thankful - VI

2008-11-05T09:45:00.001-05:00

Thanks...

I voted today. I cannot express how thankful I am for that right... for that privilege. I am so thankful for the men and women of our Armed Services that daily secure that right for me. Maybe not ‘fighting’ or ‘in the trenches’ but standing ready.

The wife and I made it to see our son in Louisville, KY this weekend. He is doing well. Lives downtown, on the tenth floor of an apartment building.
I’m thankful, and proud of him.

Friday I went to honor a Korean War vet. Harold Hancock
I am thankful for being a member of an organization that can bring comfort to a mourning family.

Another $10.You can join me here.

Thankful - V

2008-10-30T12:34:00.001-05:00

Before it completely slips my mind...

This weeks (late) thankful post.

1 - Our Veterans. This week I am attending the funeral of a Korean War Vet. God bless him. God bless them all. AND Ladies and Gentlemen, thank YOU for your service.

2 - Internet friends. Through a barrage of e-mails, from the far corners of the country, I(we) have confirmed a cancer survivor and Steelers fan will be getting some stuff that has ‘shrunk’ too much for me to wear any more.

3 - The cold weather. Now wait, don’t go throwing stones or flaming comments. I have allergies and a good hard frost usually kills or makes dormant everything that makes my eyes water, nose run and sinuses pound. So, yes, I am thankful for a good hard cold snap... now it can warm back up. I got ridding to do.

Another 10.

You can join me here.

The Beginning Of Suicide Bombings

2008-10-22T17:26:00.007-05:00

October 23rd, 2008 marks the 25 year anniversary of the attack on the Marine barracks in Beirut Lebanon.

A fellow blogger has a great article about that first suicide attack. He has even included a letter written by Colonel Timothy J. Geraghty, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired). Colonel Geraghty was the commanding officer of the Marine unit.

I had the link to the other post here, but I think you should at least scroll through the names... the link is at the bottom of the page.

The below list of names is from The Beirut Memorial - Online. There is a wealth of information there.

Remember them.

************************************************************

______________________________________________ DATE OF __ HOME
NAME OF SERVICEMEMBER ___ SERVICE _ RANK ______ DEATH ___ STATE _ HOMETOWN

Carlson, Randall A. ....... USA .... MAJ .... 09/25/1982 .. CT .. Trumbull, CT
Reagan, David L. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 09/30/1982 .. VA .. Virginia Beach, VA
Maxwell, Ben H. ........... USA .... SSGT ... 04/18/1983 .. VA .. Appomattox, VA
McMaugh, Robert V. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 04/18/1983 .. VA .. Manassas, VA
Salazar, Mark E. .......... USA .... SSGT ... 04/18/1983 .. CA .. Pasadena, CA
Twine, Richard ............ USA .... SFC .... 04/18/1983 .. UK .. Salop, UK
Losey, Donald George ...... USMC ... 2LT .... 08/29/1983 .. NC .. Winston Salem, NC
Ortega, Alexander M. ...... USMC ... SSGT ... 08/29/1983 .. NY .. Rochester, NY
Clark, Randy W. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 09/06/1983 .. WI .. Minong, WI
Valle, Pedro J. ........... USMC ... CPL .... 09/06/1983 .. RP .. San Juan, RP
Soifert, Alan H. .......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/14/1983 .. NH .. Nashua, NH
Ohler, Michael J. ......... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/16/1983 .. NY .. Huntington, NY
Abbott, Terry W. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. New Richmond, OH
Alexander, Clemon S. ...... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Monticello, FL
Allman, John R. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NM .. Carlsbad ... NM
Arnold, Moses J. Jr. ...... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Bailey, Charles K. ........ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Berlin, MD
Baker, Nicholas ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Alexandria, VA
Banks, Johansen ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Detroit, MI
Barrett, Richard E. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Tappahanock, VA
Bates, Ronny K. ........... USN .... HM1 .... 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Aiken, SC
Battle, David L. .......... USMC ... 1stSGT . 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Hubert, NC
Baynard, James R. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Richmond, VA
Beamon, Jesse W. .......... USN .... HN ..... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Haines City, FL
Belmer, Alvin. ............ USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Bland, Stephen ............ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Midway Park, NC
Blankenship, Richard L. ... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Hubert, NC
Blocker, John W. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Yulee, FL
Boccia, Joseph J. Jr. ..... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Northport, NY
Bohannon, Leon Jr. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Bohnet, John R. Jr. ....... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. TN .. Memphis, TN
Bonk, John J. Jr. ......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Boulos, Jeffrey L. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Islip, NY
Bousum, David R. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Fife Lake, MI
Boyett, John N. ........... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Brown, Anthony ............ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Detroit, MI
Brown, David W. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. TX .. Conroe, TX
Buchanan, Bobby S. Jr. .... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Midway Park, NC
Buckmaster, John B. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Vandalia, OH
Burley, William F. ........ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NJ .. Linden, NJ
Cain, Jimmy R. ............ USN .... HN ..... 10/23/1983 .. AL .. Birmington, AL
Callahan, Paul L. ......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Lorain, OH
Camara, Mecot E. .......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Campus, Bradley J. ........ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Lynn, MA
Ceasar, Johnnie D. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. TX .. El Campo, TX
Cole, Marc L. ............. USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Ludlow Falls, OH
Coleman, Marcus A. ........ USA .... SP4 .... 10/23/1983 .. TX .. Dallas, TX
Comas, Juan M. ............ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Hialeah, FL
Conley, Robert A .......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Orlando, FL
Cook, Charles D. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Advance, NC
Cooper, Curtis J. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. North Wales, PA
Copeland, Johnny L. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Burlington, NC
Corcoran, Bert D. ......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Katonah, NY
Cosner, David L. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. WV .. Elkins, WV
Coulman, Kevin P. ......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Seminary, NY
Croft, Brett A. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Lakeland, FL
Crudale, Rick R. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Warwick, RI
Custard, Kevin P. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MN .. Virginia, MN
Cyzick, Russell E. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. WV .. Star City, WV
Davis, Andrew L. .......... USMC ... MAJ .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Decker, Sidney James ...... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. KY .. Clarkson, KY
Devlin, Michael J. ........ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Westwood, MA
Dibenedetto, Thomas A. .... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. CT .. Mansfield Center, CT
Dorsey, Nathaniel G. ...... USMC ... PVT .... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Baltimore, MD
Douglass, Frederick B. .... USMC ... SGTMAJ . 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Cataumet, MA
Dunnigan, Timothy J. ...... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. WV .. Princeton, WV
Earle, Bryan L. ........... USN .... HN ..... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Painsville, OH
Edwards, Roy L. ........... USMC ... MSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Elliot, William D. Jr. .... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Lancaster, PA
Ellison, Jesse ............ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. WI .. Soldiers Grove, WI
Estes, Danny R. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. IN .. Gary, IN
Estler, Sean F. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NJ .. Kenall Park, NJ
Faulk, James E. ........... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Panama City, FL
Fluegel, Richard A. ....... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Erie, PA
Forrester, Steven M. ...... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Foster, William B. Jr. .... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Richmond, VA
Fulcher, Michael D ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Madison Heights, VA
Fuller, Benjamin E ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Duluth, GA
Fulton, Michael S. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. TX .. Ft. Worth, TX
Gaines, William Jr. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Port Charlotte, FL
Gallagher, Sean R. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. N. Andover, MA
Gander, David B. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. WI .. Milwaulkee, WI
Gangur, George M. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Cleveland, OH
Gann, Leland E. ........... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Garcia, Randall J. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. CA .. Modesto, CA
Garcia, Ronald J. ......... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Gay, David D. ............. USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Harrisburg, IL
Ghumm, Harold D. .......... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Gibbs, Warner Jr. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Portsmouth, VA
Giblin, Timothy R. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. N. Providence, RI
Gorchinski, Michael W. .... USN .... ETC .... 10/23/1983 .. IN .. Evansville, IN
Gordon, Richard J. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Somerville, MA
Gratton, Harold F. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Conoes, NY
Greaser, Robert B. ........ USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Lansdale, PA
Green, Davin M. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Baltimore, MD
Hairston, Thomas A. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Haltiwanger, Freddie Jr. .. USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Little Mountain, SC
Hamilton, Virgil D. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. KY .. Dayton, OH
Hanton, Gilbert ........... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. DC .. Washington, DC
Hart, William ............. USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Haskell, Michael S. ....... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Hastings, Michael A. ...... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. DE .. Seaford, DE
Hein, Paul A. ............. USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Held, Douglas E. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Helms, Mark A. ............ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NE .. Dwight, NE
Henderson, Ferrandy D. .... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Tampa, FL
Hernandez, Matilde Jr. .... USMC ... MSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Midway Park, NC
Hester, Stanley G. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Raleigh, NC
Hildreth, Donald W. ....... USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Sneads Ferry, NC
Holberton, Richard H. ..... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Beaufort, SC
Holland, Robert S. ........ USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. KY .. Gilbertsville, KY
Hollingshead, Bruce A. .... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Fairborn, OH
Holmes, Melvin D. ......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Chicago, IL
Howard, Bruce L. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. ME .. Strong, ME
Hudson, John R. ........... USN .... LT ..... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Riverdale, GA
Hudson, Terry L. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. AL .. Prichard, AL
Hue, Lyndon J. ............ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. LA .. Des Allemands, LA
Hukill, Maurice E. ........ USMC ... 2ndLT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Iacovino, Edward F. Jr. ... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Warwick, RI
Ingalls, John J. .......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Interlaken, NY
Innocenzi, Paul G. III .... USMC ... WO1 .... 10/23/1983 .. NJ .. Trenton, NJ
Jackowski, James J. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. S. Salem, NY
James, Jeffrey W. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Baltimore, MD
Jenkins, Nathaniel W. ..... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Daytona Beach, FL
Johnson, Michael H. ....... USN .... HM2 .... 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Detroit, MI
Johnston, Edward A. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Struthers, OH
Jones, Steven ............. USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Brooklyn, NY
Julian, Thomas A. ......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Middleton, RI
Kees, Marion E. ........... USN .... HM2 .... 10/23/1983 .. WV .. Martinsburg, WV
Keown, Thomas C. .......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. KY .. Louisville, KY
Kimm, Edward E. ........... USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. IA .. Atlantic, IA
Kingsley, Walter V. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. WI .. Wisconsin Dells, WI
Kluck, Daniel S. .......... USA .... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. KY .. Owensboro, KY
Knipple, James C. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Alexandria, VA
Kreischer, Freas H. III ... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Indiatlantic, FL
Laise, Keith J. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. East Stroudsburg, PA
Lamb, Thomas G. ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MN .. Coon Rapids, MN
Langon, James J. IV ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NJ .. Lakehurst, NJ
Lariviere, Michael S. ..... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Perry, FL
Lariviere, Steven B. ...... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Chicopee, MA
Lemnah, Richard L. ........ USMC ... MSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Lewis, David A. ........... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Garfield Heights, OH
Lewis, Val S. ............. USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Atlanta, GA
Livingston, Joseph R. ..... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Champaign, IL
Lyon, Paul D. Jr. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Milton, FL
Macroglou, John W. ........ USMC ... MAJ .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Maitland, Samuel .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Martin, Charlie R. ........ USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Martin, Jack L. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Oveido, FL
Massa, David S. ........... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Warren, RI
Massman, Michael R. ....... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Port Huron, MI
Mattacchione, Joseph J. ... USMC ... PVT .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Sanford, NC
McCall, John .............. USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Rochester, NY
McDonough, James E. ....... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Newcastle, PA
McMahon, Timothy R. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. TX .. Austin, TX
McNeely, Timothy D. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Mooresville, NC
McVicker, George N. II .... USN .... HM2 .... 10/23/1983 .. IN .. Wabash, IN
Melendez, Louis ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. PR .. Puerto Rico
Menkins, Richard H. II .... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Tully, NY
Mercer, Michael D. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Vale, NC
Meurer, Ronald W. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Milano, Joseph P. ......... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Farmingville, NY
Moore, Joseph P. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. MO .. St. Louis, MO
Morrow, Richard A. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Clairton, PA
Muffler, John F. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Munoz, Alex ............... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NM .. Bloomfield, NM
Myers, Harry D. ........... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Whittler, NC
Nairn, David J. ........... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Nava, Luis A. ............. USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. CA .. Gardena, CA
Olson, John A. ............ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. MN .. Sabin, MN
Olson, Robert P. .......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Lawtons, NY
Ortiz, Richard C. ......... USMC ... CWO3 ... 10/23/1983 .. OK .. Ft. Sill, OK
Owen, Jeffrey B. .......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Virginia Beach, VA
Owens, Joseph A. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Chesterfield, VA
Page, Connie Ray .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Erwin, NC
Parker, Ulysses ........... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Baltimore, MD
Payne, Mark W. ............ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Binghamton, NY
Pearson, John L. .......... USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Perron, Thomas S. ......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. MA .. Whitinsville, MA
Phillips, John A. Jr. ..... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Wilmette, IL
Piercy, George W. ......... USN .... HMC .... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Mt. Savage, MD
Plymel, Clyde W. .......... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Merritt, FL
Pollard, William H. ....... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Pomalestorres, Rafael I. .. USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Prevatt, Victor M. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Columbus, GA
Price, James C. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. AL .. Attala, AL
Prindeville, Patrick K. ... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Gainesville, FL
Pulliam, Eric A. .......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. E. St. Louis, IL
Quirante, Diomedes J. ..... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. RP .. Calcoocan City, RP
Randolph, David M. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. AZ .. Siloam Springs, AZ
Ray, Charles R. ........... USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Relvas, Rui A. ............ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Rich, Terrence L. ......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Brooklyn, NY
Richardson, Warren ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Brooklyn, NY
Rodriguez, Juan C. ........ USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Miami, FL
Rotondo, Louis J. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
Sanpedro, Guillermo Jr. ... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Hialeah, FL
Sauls, Michael C. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Waterboro, SC
Schnorf, Charles J. ....... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Camp Lejeune, NC
Schultz, Scott L. ......... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Keeseville, NY
Scialabba, Peter J. ....... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Moorehead City, NC
Scott, Gary R. ............ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Rankin, IL
Shallo, Ronald L. ......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Hudson, NY
Shipp, Thomas A. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Shropshire, Jerryl D. ..... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Macon, GA
Silvia, James F. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Portsmouth, RI
Sliwinski, Stanley J. ..... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Niles, OH
Smith, Kirk H. ............ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Miami, FL
Smith, Thomas G. .......... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. CT .. Middletown, CT
Smith, Vincent L. ......... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Soares, Edward ............ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Tiverton, RI
Sommerhof, William S. ..... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Springfield, IL
Spaulding, Michael C. ..... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. OH .. Akron, OH
Spearing, John W. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Lancaster, PA
Spencer, Stephen E. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. RI .. Portsmouth, RI
Stelpflug, Bill J. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. AL .. Auburn, AL
Stephens, Horace R. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Capitol Heights, MD
Stockton, Craig S. ........ USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Rochester, NY
Stokes, Jeffrey G. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. GA .. Waynesboro, GA
Stowe, Thomas D. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Sturghill, Eric D. ........ USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Chicago, IL
Sundar, Devon L. .......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. CT .. Standford, CT
Surch, James F. Jr. ....... USN .... LT ..... 10/23/1983 .. CA .. Lompoc, CA
Thompson, Dennis A. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Bronx, NY
Thorstad, Thomas P. ....... USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. IN .. Chesterton, IN
Tingley, Stephen D. ....... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. CT .. Ellington, CT
Tishmack, John J. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. MN .. Minneapolis, MN
Trahan, Lex D. ............ USMC ... PVT .... 10/23/1983 .. LA .. Lafayette, LA
Vallone, Donald H. Jr. .... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. CA .. Palmdale, CA
Walker, Eric R. ........... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. IL .. Chicago, IL
Walker, Leonard W. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. AL .. Dothan, AL
Washington, Eric G. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. VA .. Alexandria, VA
Weekes, Obrian ............ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Brooklyn, NY
Wells, Tandy W. ........... USMC ... 1stSGT . 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Wentworth, Steven B. ...... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Reading, PA
Wesley, Allen D. .......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Philadelphia, PA
West, Lloyd D. ............ USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Weyl, John R. ............. USMC ... SSGT ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Wherland, Burton D. Jr. ... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Jacksonville, NC
Wigglesworth, Dwayne W. ... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. CT .. Naugatuck, CT
Williams, Rodney J. ....... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. FL .. Opa Locka, FL
Williams, Scipio Jr. ...... USMC ... GYSGT .. 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Charleston, SC
Williamson, Johnny A. ..... USMC ... LCPL ... 10/23/1983 .. NC .. Asheboro, NC
Wint, Walter E. Jr. ....... USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. PA .. Wilkes-Barre, PA
Winter, William E. ........ USMC ... CAPT ... 10/23/1983 .. SC .. Fripp Island, SC
Wolfe, John E. ............ USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. AZ .. Phoenix, AZ
Woollett, Donald E. ....... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. OK .. Barthesville, OK
Worley, David E. .......... USN .... HM3 .... 10/23/1983 .. MD .. Baltimore, MD
Wyche, Craig L. ........... USMC ... PFC .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Jamaica, NY
Yarber, James G. .......... USA .... SFC .... 10/23/1983 .. CA .. Vacaville, CA
Young, Jeffrey D. ......... USMC ... SGT .... 10/23/1983 .. NJ .. Moorestown, NJ
Zimmerman, William A. ..... USMC ... 1stLT .. 10/23/1983 .. MI .. Grand Haven, MI
Townsend, Henry Jr. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 12/02/1983 .. AL .. Montgomery, AL
Biddle, Shannon D. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. AL .. Valley Head, AL
Cherman, Sam .............. USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. NY .. Queens, NY
Cox, Manuel A. ............ USMC ... SGT .... 12/04/1983 .. NJ .. Union City, NJ
Daugherty, David L. ....... USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. OH .. Eastlake,OH
Evans, Thomas A. .......... USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. MT .. Conrad, MT
Hattaway, Jeffrey T. ...... USMC ... PFC .... 12/04/1983 .. FL .. Pensacola, FL
Kraft, Todd A. ............ USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. ND .. Devilslake, ND
Lange, Mark A. ............ USN .... LT .... 12/04/1983 .. MI .. Fraser, MI
Perkins, Marvin H. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 12/04/1983 .. TN .. Franklin, TN
Gargano, Edward J. ........ USMC ... CPL .... 01/08/1984 .. MA .. Quincy, MA
Dramis, George L. ......... USMC ... LCPL ... 01/30/1984 .. NJ .. Cape May Court House, NJ
*Hernandez, Rodolfo ....... USMC ... - ...... 01/30/1984 .. TX ..El Paso, TX (see below footnote)
Butler, Alfred III ........ USMC ... CAPT ... 02/09/1984 .. FL .. Cocoa Beach, FL
Wagner, Michael ........... USN .... IS1 .... 09/20/1984 .. NC .. Zebulon,, NC
Welch, Kenneth ............ USA .... WO2 .... 09/20/1984 .. MI .. Grand Rapids, MI
*Hendrickson, John ........ USMC ... - ...... 04/13/1990 .. - .. (see below footnote)
*Simpson, Larry H. Jr. .... USMC ... - ...... 08/31/1992 .. - .. (see below footnote)
Hasenfus, Michael ......... USA .... CPL .... 10/20/1984 .. MA .. Dedham, MA
Stethem, Robert D. ........ USN .... SW2 .... 06/15/1985 .. MD .. Waldorf, MD
Higgins, William R. ....... USMC ... COL .... 07/06/1990 .. KY .. Louisville, KY

*Still checking on the following to confirm information:

PLEASE NOTE: The symbol ' - ' denotes unknown to this web author, and does not
mean that the information is unknown to the Department of Defense.

*Rivers, Paul . ........... USMC ... CPL .... 10/23/1983 .. NY .. Brooklyn, NY
(Listed in article, but his name is not on DOD list, but was in a
2/84 "Leatherneck" magazine article list. Later, it was confirmed by several eye witnesses that he did in fact survive the blast and is living.)

*Hernandez, Rodolfo ........ USMC ... - ...... 01/31/1984 .. DOD - NOT IN LEBANON EVENT (Although the DoD Graves database lhas him listed as not died in Lebanon, but he was wounded on 30 Jan 84 and died weeks later in Germany as a result of wounds.
Some references list him as being wounded 30 Jan and others 31 Jan, but it is
believed he died on 08 Feb 1984 in a German hospital.)
Hendrickson, John ......... USMC ... - ...... 04/13/1990 .. DOD - NOT IN LEBANON EVENT
Simpson, Larry H. Jr. ..... USMC ... - ...... 08/31/1992 .. DOD - NOT IN LEBANON EVENT

(Last 3 on one database, but not on DOD list as being in Lebanon)

Grateful acknowledgment to Bob Whitney for the accuracy of this file.

******************************************

Click here to read the letter from Colonel Geraghty.

Thankful IV

2008-10-20T16:52:00.001-05:00

Recap -

Flo and Jim are from North Indiana. They are IPGR (Indiana Patriot Guard Riders) members, Veteran supporters, Jim is a Vet and their son is serving in the Army.During the floods surrounding the passing of hurricane Ike a couple weeks ago, these fine folks lost everything....“Everything”, An interesting word. Seems to be thrown around a lot these days. Let me quantify their loss for you.

With this post starts my pledge of $10 a week. If you’d like to join me, go to Independent Veterans Society of Indiana and click on the donate button (lower right of page). $10 bucks isn’t a lot but if 10 of us do it, that’s $100 a week and by Thanksgiving...Please join me, won’t you?

This week, I am thankful for -

- The weather. Yeah, again. It has been great around here. Getting a little chilly but still, warm sunshine, light breezes. Great ridding weather and great weather to be out in the woods.

- Upper management at my company. We have been... downsizing for about 18 months. Not so much laying people off, but if someone left we didn’t necessarily hire a replacement. So, last week when the parent company laid off several hundred people we did not need to. Profits are up and holding, sales are down but we’re still making money.

- Gas prices. I saw $2.469 over the weekend. If it holds, that should be a hundred bucks a month to the DNR family bottom line! WHOO HOOO!!!

Yep, another ten spot to the folks up in the nor’t. God bless’m!

A Soldier's Thoughts

2008-10-20T09:16:00.003-05:00

JP over at Milblogging.com shared this with me. I think you’ll like it and I believe Stephen speaks the truth.

Army Specialist and blogger Stephen Fortunato was killed earlier this week in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was riding in was s truck by a roadside bomb. His mother shared a blog entry with the Boston Globe, which Stephen had written in August. According to BostonHerald.com: "He was killed on his first day back on patrol after a 19-day leave in Massachusetts. Fortunato was in the 26th Infantry Regiment and served as a gunner in back of a Humvee. He had served in Afghanistan since July."

Here`s an excerpt from the blog entry that was shared with the Boston Globe:

If I may...

I`d like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush`s agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.

I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the " war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America`s sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.

Go to the Boston Globe to read the rest of Stephen's post.

Let Us Not Forget

2008-10-15T17:08:00.002-05:00

Hull Maintenance Technician Second Class Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter, 21, of Mechanicsville, Va.

Electronics Technician Chief Petty Officer Richard Costelow, 35, of Morrisville, Pa.

Mess Management Specialist Seaman Lakeina Monique Francis, 19, of Woodleaf, N.C.

Information Systems Technician Timothy Lee Gauna, 21, of Rice, Texas

Signalman Seaman Cherone Louis Gunn, 22, of Rex, Ga.

Seaman James Rodrick McDaniels, 19, of Norfolk, Va.

Engineman Second Class Marc Ian Nieto, 24, of Fond du Lac, Wis.

Electronics Warfare Technician Second Class Ronald Scott Owens, 24, of Vero Beach, Fla.

Seaman Lakiba Nicole Palmer, 22, of San Diego, Calif.

Engineman Fireman Joshua Langdon Parlett, 19, of Churchville, Md.

Fireman Patrick Howard Roy, 19, of Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y.

Electronics Warfare Technician First Class Kevin Shawn Rux, 30, of Portland, N.D.

Mess Management Specialist Third Class Ronchester Manangan Santiago, 22, Kingsville, Texas

Operations Specialist Second Class Timothy Lamont Saunders, 32, of Ringgold, Va.

Fireman Gary Graham Swenchonis Jr., 26, Rockport, Texas

Ensign Andrew Triplett, 31, of Macon, Miss.

Seaman Craig Bryan Wibberley, 19, of Williamsport, Md.

Do you know these men and women?
Do you recognize their names?
In the spirit of not forgetting, do you know what Sunday was the 8th anniversary of?
I must admit, and am ashamed to say, I had to be reminded.
It was the bombing of the USS Cole.

God bless and keep them, be with the families through what I am sure is still a hard time of year.

Thankful - III

2008-10-13T16:24:00.001-05:00

Week 3
Week 2 - Re-cap
Week 1 - The reason for this Thankful thing

One has to be this weather. At least in central Indiana. It was 78 and 85 this weekend. The missus and I rode through Brown County (south central Indiana) Saturday. It was beautiful. All of the fall colors, warm sun and not a cloud in the sky. If you didn’t get outside this weekend, you missed a great October day. And yes, I’ll be thankful for the snow and cold when it comes. May slow down the riding some (yeah, right) but I do love snow and colder weather.

The next thing has to be today, and everything it encompasses. We are in the midst of a technological revolution and thanks to $4+ a gallon gas we are in for a energy revolution. Seriously, stop for a second and think about what is happening around you, hell even this very second... you are reading the blathering words of a guy in central Indiana and these meandering words can be read by just about anybody in the world within in seconds of ‘publishing’. That IS incredible.

Lastly this week has to be the blogosphere. I know, I know... very similar to the above but no, not really. Bear with me for a sec. I’d guess I read 20 maybe 30 blogs, then some of those have guest posters or multiple people posting. No matter my mood I always find someone that agrees with me and someone that totally disagrees with me. There is always someone that had a weekend experience that makes me laugh and laugh hard. There is someone that has had a hard weekend and I cry a little with them. Maybe not friends in the ‘come over and help paint your kitchen’ but friends, none the less. I get to laugh and share a like experience, offer encouragement, rejoice and be humbled.

Jim and Flo, God bless.

You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop

2008-10-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?

He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.

We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries.

Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'

Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.

At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously ..

'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'

The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.'

'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!'

The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

Thankful - II

2008-10-06T14:47:00.001-05:00

A brief re-cap;

Basically the idea is to list 3 things you are thankful for each week from now until Thanksgiving and with each post give a little to a charity. My donations are going to Independent Veterans Society of Indiana. The money gathered will be given to Flo and Jim. Flo and Jim are from North Indiana. They are IPGR (Indiana Patriot Guard Riders) members, Veteran supporters, Jim is a Vet and their son is serving in the Army. During the floods surrounding the passing of hurricane Ike a while ago, these fine folks lost everything....

This week I am thankful for;
1 - My family, a wonderful wife and 2 healthy boys. The wife and I got to take both boys to dinner Saturday night.... (that will have to be another post)
2 - This country. I could not imagine living anywhere else.
3 - Our troops. Without them, none of this would be possible.

Go. Donate. I just did.

Click here to donate.
Click here for the week 1 post.

Close Call

2008-10-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Not me, a friend.

Our buddy, Dirt Bike had to lay his scoot down a couple months ago. He is currently in his second cast but still has the wires and stuff.

I don’t get to see him too much any more since he has moved up to the Lansing, MI area.
If you have a minute, send him a good thought and a prayer.

This is his recount of the moments leading up to and through the accident.

*************

Often ya see in these posts some very good advice designed to keep your mc'ing experience a safe enjoyable one.

After much time to review my asphalt incident" of the 7th I’ve decided to describe ,in detail, what happened, Sort of a "heads-up”, "take what you can use” kind of thing.

Here goes.. first I was overtired, making me less than alert and more importantly not a good decision maker. 2nd I was riding on an unfamiliar road, at night not only was I unfamiliar with the road conditions, I didn’t even know the speed limit. :oops:

I’ve been riding scooters for most of the last 45 years, yes Specialk since I was about 30.. :lol: I’m pretty experienced in terms of saddle miles, road conditions weather conditions, equipment conditions but being human and subject to all the frailties of THAT condition.

I made some very serious mistakes that cost me a very nice, much loved motorcycle, a few patches of derma i had become very attached to, and a big inconvenience in my life/lifestyle for the next 3 months

so here goes:
I left a meeting in town, with friends and since it was a real nice ride’n night I opted to take the long way home. I turned onto a dark road that I had never even been on, in the daylight and began ,sloping ,2-3 mile grade uphill, about a mile into that, a truck on the side of this road made a u-turn in front of me, without even looking,

Not REAL close, but enough to irritate me, so I gassed it up so he could hear my angry pipes; mistake right there, I know better than to ride with my emotions on my sleeve roll but no harm, no foul, settled back in, and kept ride’n up the hill.

Just about a 100 yds b4 the hill crest, an oncoming car failed to dim as they topped the hill, I blink warned, ...they complied ...and I continued on up almost to the top now big mistake here...

QUESTION:

Should I have, on an unfamiliar dark road, with no concept of the conditions on the other Blind side, have immediately slowed down to scan and assess??/

ANSWER! ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!

Did I? ..No :oops:

I gassed it up even more, to make the top in style partly cuz of making overtired decisions, partly cuz I was still a little irritated, partly cuz it was a gorgeous night, the bike was running awesome and the pipes sounded great.

SOOoo.. When I crested the hill, my headlight reached for the stars then as the grade changed and the bike pointed down I became instantly aware, in that ,slow-motion kind of clarity, that while I was doing the "bright light warning" thing I had missed something...

a simple, black and yellow picture, that was a clue to what was going to be happening to me and my beloved motorcycle for the next 5-10 seconds.

A "T"

So I immediately threw out both anchors, but to no avail a rainstorm the night before had left an ugly 6 ft streak of sandy gravel, in my path of travel. The bike went sideways, immediacy, throwing me off the right side. I hit on the right side of my helmet, temple high. Then it was the bikers ballet for about 30 feet, bouncing, rolling and sliding to a quiet stop.

My beloved skooter, having about a ten foot lead on me was across the intersection, in the ditch, still faithfully playing ZZ Top full blast

"bout the shack outside LaGrange"

Then...

agony...

SOOOO...the next 45 minutes was all about age?
blood type?
any allergies to meds?
can ya feel this?
can ya move this?

WHOA,
don’t move that!!!

And...

"Wow man, has your foot always pointed in that direction?"

CAUTION LECTURE ZONE AHEAD

That HELMET and that LEATHER spared me and my family a lot of further inconvenience. I look at them thru different eyes now

RIDE SAFE!!!

dirt....

I AM Thankful

2008-09-29T17:24:00.001-05:00

I read about a little fund raiser over at LL’s, she is replicating the idea from Major Pain. Basically the idea is to list 3 things you are thankful for each week from now until Thanksgiving and with each post give a little to a charity. They are donating to anysolder.com. A very worth cause. Their posts will be on Sundays, mine will be on Mondays.

I’ve decided to hi-jack this idea and bring it a little closer to home.

Flo and Jim are from North Indiana. They are IPGR (Indiana Patriot Guard Riders) members, Veteran supporters, Jim is a Vet and their son is serving in the Army.

During the floods surrounding the passing of hurricane Ike a couple weeks ago, these fine folks lost everything....

“Everything”, An interesting word. Seems to be thrown around a lot these days. Let me quantify their loss for you.

Home - still standing. Uninhabitable. Lived some time in a camper/trailer without electricity. Still in the camper but now with a generator. Some time soon they will move into an apartment. Mortgage AND rent, that’s effectively two house payments. On a fixed income.
Food - if it wasn’t canned, it’s gone. And even some of that floated away.
Clothing - if they weren’t wearing it, it’s gone. Mold, mildew, rot.
Cars - still own them. Their full of water, mud and crud. It’s amazing how fast things rust away when they get water where they’re not suppose to.
Health - Jim is a disable Veteran. What he physically can do, he’s not allowed to do. He has been ordered to not enter their home again until it is cleaned up. Flo has lost her voice from breathing all of the mold and mildew filled air in the house.
Stuff - furniture, pretty must all water logged, guess they didn’t loose it but it is useless. What was left someone tried to loot. Yes, I said loot. They were stopped but still...
Family - Their son was home on leave from Iraq. The military has seen fit to not send him back to Iraq immediately but they have recalled him to his base in Texas. That didn’t help much.

So.

I’m thankful for;
1 - My home. As frustrating as it can be sometimes, without it, I would be lost.
2 - Friemily (Friends and Family). Not just blood relatives but these (you) people that I call friends. You are a support structure I know is there.
3 - My job *urp*. Seriously, I am paid well. I live well. And because of it, I can help.

With this post starts my pledge of $10 a week. If you’d like to join me, go to Independent Veterans Society of Indiana and click on the donate button (lower right of page). $10 bucks isn’t a lot but if 10 of us do it, that’s $100 a week and by Thanksgiving...

Please join me, won’t you?

Respect,

DNR

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman

2008-09-23T17:19:00.007-05:00

For the younger folks and those who are unfamiliar with the story below, the movie ONCE WE WERE SOLDIERS, with Mel Gibson told the story of this epic battle and the incredible courage of all those who participated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965. LZ Xray, Vietnam. Your Infantry Unit is outnumbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the Medi-Vac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter, and you look up to see a Huey, but it doesn't seem real, because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway.And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses.

And, he kept coming back......

13 more times.....

He took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died 20AUG08 at the age of 80, in Boise, ID.

May God rest his soul!

The 10th Mountain Division

2008-08-01T16:31:00.004-05:00

During the trip out west, we spent about a day with two fantastic people. Joe and Lois. We met them at the USS Indianapolis Survivors reunion parade here in Indy last year. Lois is the niece of one of the survivors. Great people, fed us, let us stay in their mountain cabin. The 3br, 3ba, 2 car ga ‘cabin’ complete with a deck with the views noted below is their summer retreat, they call it a cabin, I call it a resort...

Anyway...

In one of our many military based conversations, Joe tells us about the previous owner of his cabin. If I remember correctly, the guy (his name escapes me) was a member of the 10th Mountain Division in WWII. He built the cabin up there at 7-8k feet 50+ years ago when there was nothing. I cannot imagine. I got winded up there just going up 4-5 steps on their deck, little lone ‘build’ something up there. Hell, pilots have to put on oxygen at 10,000 feet.

Joe and Lois added on to the cabin a few years ago, so it a bit larger now but still the most awesome views.

Many other 10th Mountain guys returned from the French and Italian Alps, loving the mountains, to start and revitalize the ski slopes that now dominate the Rocky Mountain landscape.

In that discussion Joe starts telling us about a book. One of the guys from the 10th Mountain comes home and puts together a multi picture ‘scrap book’ (I believe there was 1,000 pictures) complete with descriptions and comments about each picture. The comments include locations, men’s names and their ranks. In hauntingly many cases there are “... was killed weeks after this picture was taken.” Or “... died of injuries sustained 6 months after this.”

He made 1,000 copies.

OK... let that sink in. 1,000 copies... in post WWII America there is not a Kinko’s down around the corner. No color copiers or printers. You didn’t place all the pictures in a graphics editor and print it. This guy had 1,000 copies of each photograph printed and mounted each in a book along with the description. Now that’s dedication to recording history. We need that today.... but that's another post.

Sometime in there while we are talking, Joe disappears and comes back with a copy of 'the book'. One of the original, photographs printed in sepia because that’s how they printed them, copies. As I’m flipping through the pages, in complete awe of the history in my hands, I came across this photo and caption.

To me. This says it all about cards, letters and care packages for our troops.

Everyone knows someone that knows someone currently in the sand box.

Go.

Now.

Get their address, send them something. Tell them thanks, tell them you’re proud of their service.

Even if you never hear from them, they'll appriciate it. Really.

SSG Norman H. Currin

2008-07-29T10:38:00.003-05:00

This weekend a friend of mine (Kat with the Georgia PGR) had the honor of standing next to a Vietnam hero as he passed in Hospice care. I personally had never met Norm, I truly wish I had. We, the people of this world, are less as a whole from the loss of such a strong and caring man.

God bless and be with the Currin family and friends. SSG Currin, Norman H., will not be forgotten.

These are her words.

***********************

This weekend, I lost a friend and hero. He was the living embodiment of all a hero should be, and was strong till the end. In an attempt to process everything that has happened, and so that I always remember, I've written this below:

SSG Norman H. Currin went to be with the Lord shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 27, 2008.

Exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War messed him up. For thirteen years, he fought serious physical problems all the time. Six of those years, he got dialysis 3 times a week and for many years was also confined to a wheelchair.

The last six months were a whirlwind of hospital stays back-to-back-to-back - strokes, pnumonia, complications from being a dialysis patient, infection of his dialysis port & bedsores, and lastly, a massive heart attack on Tuesday. Nothing the docs could have done would have saved him, the treatments would have killed him. Norman bravely made the decision to accept hospice care.

Despite massive amounts of morphine and being in a medically-induced coma, he still communicated. He'd squeeze our hands when we said certain things (any of his friends' names or anything about motorcycles, the military, or especially his dear family, for example). The day before he died, while on "enough morphine to choke a horse" (said the nurse), he fully and completely woke up and looked at each one of us - plain as day told each of us one by one, "I love you." He was holding my hand so tightly, my hand fell asleep. He held my hand and the hands of his family and friends strongly off and on for hours all weekend- always his squeezes were in response to something that was said to him, not simply random.

About 3 hours before he left us, he woke up again. He couldn't open his eyes or talk, tho he was obviously trying. He would turn in the direction of our voices and smile -. SMILE!! - at us. Then he slipped back into his deep sleep once more...Shortly thereafter, his lungs were completely filled with fluid as a result of no dialysis for the past week --- a few more brave (but ineffective) breaths, and he was gone.

A phone call was made as planned upon his passing, and others from the Patriot Guard Riders, together with some riders from the Wingmen and Sons of Thunder who were his dearest, dearest friends, came to the hospital and escorted him and his family to the funeral home in the middle of the night. Talk about an amazing and humbling honor.

He was treated cruelly upon his return from Vietnam, as so many of our veterans were. But I have not the slightest doubt that in Heaven, God made it up to him hugely with the biggest, best welcome home parade and celebration EVER.

Freedom is not free. Those who fight for it - now and in past conflicts - deserve our utmost honor and respect. We will never fully know or understand all they sacrificed on our behalf. To those who served in Vietnam and were unappreciated, I offer my genuine and heartfelt gratitude. Know that you made a difference - know that we are proud of you, know that you are dearly and truly loved. And for those who never once have heard it said in all this time: Welcome home. You did us proud.

Ballad of the Patriot Guard

2008-05-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

USS INDIANAPOLIS - Survivors Story

2008-03-31T08:46:00.005-05:00

PUBLISHED: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Indianapolis survivor shares story

By Frank DeFrank
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Richard Thelen, 81, a survivor of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the worst naval disaster in U.S. history, makes a point with students at Kennedy Middle School in St. Clair Shores. The Indianapolis was torpedoed in the Pacific Ocean days after delivering to a South Pacific island the atomic bomb that would end the war just days later. The Indianapolis was served by a crew of nearly 1,200 sailors. Only 317 survived.
Macomb Daily photo by David Dalton

Paul Melton, an eighth-grader at Kennedy Middle School in St. Clair Shores, holds a fascination for World War II. When the History Channel broadcasts a program that chronicles an event of 60-plus years ago, Paul is as likely to be tuned in as most kids are to be playing video games.After Friday, he'll view those programs in a whole new light.
Paul was one of dozens of Kennedy students on hand to hear the real-life story of Richard Thelen, one of just 317 sailors who survived the July 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis.

"It's pretty exciting," Paul said.

The eighth-graders were assigned to read the book "Left for Dead," one of several about the Indianapolis. Just days after it delivered components for the first atomic bomb that would end the war, the Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

As a follow-up to the assignment, teachers recruited Thelen, a Lansing resident, to visit the school and tell his story.

"He is living history," said Jennifer Mackewich, language arts teacher. "These kids are so excited, especially the boys."

Thelen was an 18-year-old sailor making his first voyage aboard the Indianapolis in July 1945. Crew members didn't know what they delivered to the South Pacific island of Tinian, but the round-the-clock Marine guards told them it was something important.

"We didn't know it until after we dropped the bomb," Thelen said. "Then they told us."

After leaving Tinian, the first part of its mission completed, the

Indianapolis set sail for the Philippines. But shortly after midnight July 30, the ship was torpedoed in the Philippine Sea. The Indianapolis sank in 12 minutes.

Of nearly 1,200 men on board, 300 went down with the ship. The other 900 were left floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats and most without food or water.

"The sharks would go through at night and bounce around like Ping-Pong balls," Thelen said. "I saw six to eight men taken by sharks."

Unbeknownst to the sailors, nobody knew the Indianapolis was missing. So nobody was looking for them. For four days the men bobbed in the ocean, stretched out two miles wide and 18 miles long.

One by one, they succumbed to wounds, exposure, madness from drinking salt water and the loss of hope.

"They'd take their life jackets off and say they're going down below deck to get a drink of water," Thelen said.

Thelen, too, thought of letting himself slip below the surface to end his agony. But every time he did, the vision of his father's face appeared before his eyes.

"I'd see my dad's face," he told the students. "He brought me home."

For five nights and four days the crew of the Indianapolis clung to life. Finally, on the morning of the fifth day, a passing plane caught a glimpse of an oil slick.

"They (the crew of the plane) didn't know who we were, what ship were we off or where we were from," Thelen said.

Only after the survivors were pulled from the sea did the Navy understand: The sinking of the Indianapolis was the worst disaster in U.S. naval history.

Of the 900 sailors who went into the water, just 316 survived.

Now 81, Thelen is one of the few survivors of the Indianapolis still around to tell the story. He carved out a good life for himself, working as a truck driver for more than 40 years and raising six children. Two years ago, he married Esther, his second wife, who accompanies Thelen now when he visits schools, service clubs and other groups to tell his story.

Why did he survive when so many of his shipmates perished?

"I have no idea," Thelen said.

Meanwhile, Paul Melton will watch those World War II documentaries with a new appreciation for the men and women whose stories are chronicled.

"I don't think I would have made it," Paul said. "I'll see (World War II) a lot differently. I have a lot of respect (for veterans). But this just boosts your respect that much more."

Open Letter From an Army Wife

2008-03-27T16:14:00.005-05:00

Jill [somewhere in the mid-west]
25 March 2008
Wife of SFC [somewhere in Iraq]
HQ, 1/151 Infantry –Indiana National Guard

*********************************

Can you imagine. . .

Your husband is in Iraq and you are sitting in the living room with your children, watching your favorite television show and suddenly “BREAKING NEWS” – your local newscast personality is on your TV screen, seemingly shouting at you “Another Indiana National Guardsman killed in Iraq. More at 11. . . ”.

Your kids look at you. . .

You look at the TV. . .

Then at the phone. . .

Surely if it were your husband someone would have called you before it made it on the 11:00 news. . .

Wouldn’t they???

All you News people out there, let me ask - ARE YOU CRAZY!!! You have no idea what that feels like, and I hope you never have too. In an instant, your heart stops, your stomach is in your throat and tears are already streaming down your face. . .

But you can’t let the kids see that you’re the slightest bit upset by this.

In the midst of all the negative press about the war and all the angry debates over bringing the troops home, has anyone stopped to think about how this all affects the families of the soldiers???

I’ve heard over and over how it takes a special person to be a soldier, but what about their families? Let me tell you, they are pretty special too! I know, I’ve been married to a soldier for years and I get it. . .

But then I have also been the soldier, which gives me a different perspective than most. It is not easy to let go and let your soldier go off into a combat zone, but, then you don’t have a choice. The decision has already been made by the soldier and the soldier (Your Soldier) must have strong feelings about what he is doing or he would not be serving in some capacity in the military.

As a soldier’s family it is our place to be strong and totally supportive of the soldier, whether or not you support the war. It does, however, look really bad when a soldier’s family talks bad about the war. If you have nothing good to say then say nothing! The media is doing a good job keeping the negativity alive all by itself. They don’t need our help, but think about this. . .

Would our soldiers want to go back if they didn’t think they were doing some good?

We must have faith and trust in what our soldiers believe. Recently, I was fortunate to hear LTC Brian Corneilson speak on “The Truth About Iraq” and one thing he said stuck in my mind. Everyday a line forms outside this one building, people waiting to get applications to become Iraqi police. EVERYDAY there is a new line with new people, waiting. This line has been blown up at least 3 times by suicide bombers, killing many, many people. Would you willing go stand in a line that you knew could get you killed?? These people did and still do because they feel that strong about governing themselves. Our soldiers feel this and they see this from the civilians they come in contact with on a daily basis. The good they see and feel over shadows the negativity that we see in the media and therefore we have to trust our soldiers and show them support.

How can we support our troops?

The soldiers no longer need every bar of soap or tube of toothpaste mailed to them. Life in Iraq for the troops has progressed to a more comfortable state of living, so what we need to do is support the families. We must do everything we can to minimize a soldier’s distractions. A soldier that is not totally focused on what they are doing puts himself and those around him at risk. If a soldier is in the middle of a mission but is thinking about how depressed his mother was the last time he talked to her or he is upset because he can’t be home for his sister’s wedding or birth of a child –this is dangerous. We must minimize their distractions as much as possible.

Your soldier is already upset he can’t be there so don’t make it worse.

Tell him it’s OK. . .

You understand why he can’t be there and what he is doing IS important. Your husband doesn’t need to know the basement is flooded. He DOES need to know there is a support network in place at home and his family is using it. Whether it is your extended family or the Family Readiness Support Group for your unit, someone is there to help.

If you know a family who has a deployed soldier, check on them. Some people are shy about asking for help, so show up, often, volunteer your services, let them know you care and aren’t going away. This is the best way you can support our deployed soldiers.

A person’s outlook and attitude changes when the war gets personal. They start paying attention to the news, forming their own opinions and wanting to get involved. The more people we get involved, the better it is for our troops.

People ask me how I can let my husband go back to Iraq. . .

I say “How can I not?”.

WISDOM - FROM THE MILITARY MANUAL

2008-01-28T17:05:00.000-05:00

"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal
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"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." - U.S. Air Force Manual
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"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." - General Macarthur
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"Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance
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"Five second fuses only last three seconds." - Infantry Journal
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"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once."
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"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do." - Unknown Marine Recruit
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"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him." - USAF Ammo Troop
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"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death , I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing." - At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena , Japan
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"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."
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"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
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"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."
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"Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club."
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"What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up, .... The pilot dies."
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"Never trade luck for skill."
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The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation are: "Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?" And "Oh S...!"
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"Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to successfully complete the flight."
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"Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!"
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"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your flight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)
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"There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime." - Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970
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"If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to."
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"You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal."
(quote from an Aggie Pilot)
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As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks "What happened?".

The pilot's reply: "I don't know, I just got here myself!" - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)

A Date which will Live in Infamy

2007-12-07T09:43:00.001-05:00

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense...I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan...a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory--" So help us God"
~President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dec. 8, 1941

Sixty-six years ago, our nation endured a devastating attack that claimed the lives of more than 2,400 Americans. Those stationed at Pearl Harbor rushed into action as gunfire and explosions shattered the Sunday morning calm of December 7, 1941. Putting duty before their own safety, many risked their lives – and many gave their lives – to defend their comrades and the free world.

You could never be repaid for your bravery and sacrifice to our nation. We forget, and lose sight of, how far we have come as a nation because of your service. My family and our children salute you and your service, and give you our most humble thank you!

Hope Rides Alone

2007-12-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

By Eddie Jeffers

I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others.

I sweat, and I am tired. My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead. I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there.

There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival. I've made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets...who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not.And to think, I volunteered for this...

And I am ignorant to the rest of the world...or so I thought.But even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi , Iraq , the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man. And then, I will be alone. And then, I will walk down the streets of America , and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler.

I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home. I use the word boys and girls, because that's what they are. In the Army, the average age of the infantryman is nineteen years old. The average rank of soldiers killed in action is Private First Class.

People like Cindy Sheehan are ignorant. Not just to this war, but to the results of their idiotic ramblings, or at least I hope they are. They don't realize its effects on this war. In this war, there are no Geneva Conventions, no cease fires. Medics and Chaplains are not spared from the enemy's brutality because it's against the rules. I can only imagine the horrors a military Chaplain would experience at the hands of the enemy. The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward's war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes...only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it.

But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy.

Democrats and peace activists like to toss the word "quagmire" around and compare this war to Vietnam . In a way they are right, this war is becoming like Vietnam . Not the actual war, but in the isolation of country and military. America is not a nation at war; they are a nation with its military at war. Like it or not, we are here, some of us for our second, or third times; some even for their fourth and so on. Americans are so concerned now with politics, that it is interfering with our war.

Terrorists cut the heads off of American citizens on the Internet...and there is no outrage, but an American soldier kills an Iraqi in the midst of battle, and there are investigations, and sometimes soldiers are even jailed...for doing their job.

It is absolutely sickening to me to think our country has come to this. Why are we so obsessed with the bad news? Why will people stop at nothing to be against this war, no matter how much evidence of the good we've done is thrown in their face? When is the last time CNN or MSNBC or CBS reported the opening of schools and hospitals in Iraq ? Or the leaders of terror cells being detained or killed? It's all happening, but people will not let up their hatred of Bush. They will ignore the good news, because it just might show people that Bush was right.

America has lost its will to fight. It has lost its will to defend what is right and just in the world. The crazy thing of it all is that the American people have not even been asked to sacrifice a single thing. It's not like World War Two, where people rationed food, and turned in cars to be made into metal for tanks. The American people have not been asked to sacrifice anything. Unless you are in the military or the family member of a service member, its life as usual...the war doesn't affect you.

But it affects us. And when it is over, and the troops come home, and they try to piece together what's left of them after their service...where will the detractors be then? Where will the Cindy Sheehans be to comfort and talk to soldiers and help them sort out the last couple years of their lives, most of which have been spent dodging death and wading through the deaths of their friends? They will be where they always are, somewhere far away, where the horrors of the world can't touch them. Somewhere where they can complain about things they will never experience in their lifetime; things that the young men and women of America have willingly taken upon their shoulders.

We are the hope of the Iraqi people. They want what everyone else wants in life: safety, security, somewhere to call home. They want a country that is safe to raise their children in. Not a place where their children will be abducted, raped, and murdered if they do not comply with the terrorists demands. They want to live on, rebuild and prosper. And America has given them the opportunity, but only if we stay true to the cause, and see it to its end. But the country must unite in this endeavor...we cannot place the burden on our military alone. We must all stand up and fight, whether in uniform or not. And supporting us is more than sticking yellow ribbon stickers on your cars. It's supporting our President, our troops and our cause.

Right now, the burden is all on the American soldiers. Right now, hope rides alone. But it can change, it must change. Because there is only failure and darkness ahead for us as a country, as a people, if it doesn't.

Let's stop all the political nonsense, let's stop all the bickering, let's stop all the bad news, and let's stand and fight!

******

Eddie's father, David Jeffers, writes:
I'm not sure how many letters or articles you've ever read from the genre of "News from the Front," but this is one of the best I've ever read, including all of America's wars. As I was reading this, I forgot that it was my son who had written it. My emotions range from great pride to great sorrow, knowing that my little boy (22 years old) has become this man.

He is my hero. Thank all of you for your prayers for him; he needs them now more than ever. God bless.

Though Eddie is no longer with us, you can help to let his voice be heard

*******************************

I did not look into Snoops to see if this was true... I don't care, if it isn't, it should be.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T10:15:00.001-05:00

The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
by: Edgar Albert Guest

It may be I am getting old and like too much to dwell
Upon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well;
But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could know
A simple old Thanksgiving Day, like those of long ago,
When all the family gathered round a table richly spread,
With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head,
The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile,
With mother running in and out and laughing all the while.

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me to-day
We're too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray;
Each little family grows up with fashions of its own;
It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone.
It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends;
There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends,
Pursuing what he likes the best in his particular way,
Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day.

I like the olden way the best, when relatives were glad
To meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad;
The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin,
And whether living far or near they all came trooping in
With shouts of "Hello, daddy!" as they fairly stormed the place
And made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her face
Upon her gingham apron before she kissed them all,
Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small.

Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told;
From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old;
All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do,
The struggles we were making and the hardships we'd gone through;
We gathered round the fireside. How fast the hours would fly--
It seemed before we'd settled down 'twas time to say good-bye.
Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew
When relatives could still be friends and every heart was true.

Remembering Our Heroes

2007-11-09T13:19:00.001-05:00

What is a Veteran?

On Veterans Day, November 11th, we pause to remember and to honor the men and women who selflessly and bravely served in America’s armed forces to keep our nation strong and our freedoms secure.

Veterans Day traditionally is a day of celebration when communities large and small demonstrate their respect and appreciation for the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have sacrificed so much for the cherished causes of liberty and peace.

This Veterans Day, however, will be a more somber occasion as we pay tribute to not only those who served in past wars, but honor America’s sons and daughters on active duty in Iraq and in the war against terrorism being waged around the world.

Observance of Veterans Day – or Armistice Day as it was known then -- began 84-years ago, in 1919, when Americans gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the peace agreement that ended the first world war – the war to end all wars.

Today, many wars and conflicts later, we continue this tradition of paying tribute to those who have worn the uniforms of our armed forces. Our servicemen and women have freely given of themselves throughout our history to preserve the precious liberties and freedoms enjoyed today by Americans and people worldwide. We are the fortunate beneficiaries of their vigilance and determination.

The courage of America’s veterans has been passed down from generation to generation. Our veterans have proudly and bravely battled tyranny and oppression in the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East.

And, today, our men and women in uniform once again are at war, bringing freedom to the people of Iraq and standing vigilant against brutal and ruthless terrorists who kill innocent people in their blind hatred of America and our special way of life.

Through their service, today’s veterans have joined a long line of patriots willing to risk all to preserve our freedom and the American way of life.

To the families of others who have made the supreme sacrifice – we extend our heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging we cannot measure the value of the freedoms secured by their supreme sacrifice. Their losses, however, will not be in vain, as our nation will emerge victorious in these wars and the world will be a better and safer place.

We are a nation blessed with an abundance of citizens willing to take up arms to secure, defend and maintain the principles put forth by our forefathers. Since the founding of our nation, nearly 50 million men and women have served America in uniform.

Half of them – some 25 million – are living today. They are our grandparents, parents, sons and daughters, co-workers, friends and neighbors – ordinary citizens who have served in extraordinary ways to preserve the greatness of America.

It is our duty as citizens of this great nation to remember the service of our veterans, their sacrifices and their commitment to America and its citizens. We should do so, not just on Veterans Day, but every day of the year.

That is the least we can do in recognition of the inestimable debt we owe for what they have done for us, and continue to do to make a better and safer tomorrow for generations of Americans, who will enjoy the promise of freedom and happiness as the legacy of the selfless service of countless patriots.

A few years after the end of World War I, President Calvin Coolidge cautioned Americans that “The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” The admonition is as timely today as it was then.

On Veterans Day 2006 let us join together in remembering our veterans and giving thanks for all they have done for us and our great nation. And, let us pray for the safety and well being of our men and women in uniform, and wish them success as they fight for the cause of freedom and peace.

Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU." Remember November 11th is Veterans Day.

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

A Welcome Home

2007-11-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

Sgt Brent Massey is home today. He will be here for 30 days. Then he returns... to Iraq. His fourth, yes FOURTH tour. He already has the Army Bronze Star. He IS a hero.

Sgt. Massey was awarded the "Army Bronze Star" medal for his actions taken on two missions in support of "Operation Iraqi Freedom". He led his soldiers on more than 60 missions. His expert ability to lead under fire was demonstrated on two separate missions in which his section was ambushed. His valorous actions and cool demeanor during these missions ensured the safety of his soldiers and led to the successful clearing and securing of the ambush sites.
He was also a vital asset in securing two highways that were used as supply routes by coalition forces rebuilding Iraq. His tireless efforts and outstanding operational stamina were key in keeping these highways open for coalition convoys and Iraqi civilians.

Last night, 2 PGR members met Sgt. Massey, his parents and a family friend (also a PGR member) at the airport. 3 bikes, 2 large flags and an escort from Indy’s west side to the east side. From comments I heard there, he was impressed... flattered.

Unknown to him or his parents, there were 8 more of us at his house. 4 more bikes and flags, the typical PGR style 3x4 flags. We lined the street for about 100 feet and waited.

Three bikes pulled in and a car... out jumped a Sergeant. Emotionally moved to just about run up and down our ranks and thank everyone of us with a firm hand shake and a hug. He thanks us.... It truly was our honor SIR (YES, I know you work for a living. See Softails post)

Indianapolis, there is a hero in town, a true, Bronze Star recipient war hero. God bless him and keep him safe. We will be there to escort him when he returns back to Iraq and again when he returns home.

Thanks to Lloyd for the flags. Thanks to everyone that made it out. Thanks to Bruce and Maverick for the Airport escort. Thanks to Dan and Jon for RCing the separate parts of this mission.

And SgtMoon... it was GREAT to see you again!!

Prayers Please

2007-10-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this post below... Greg Bowman died September 8th or 9th. This is a small bit of that other post.

During our quick dinner, it was decided that I *gulp* should present the flag to Mrs. Bowman... wow, this is more of an honor than I can describe. I’m glad it was about an hour to Princeton, IL because I spent the time composing my self and trying to find some words that might express what I was feeling and what needed to be said.

When we got there, the official service was over so we went to the Bowman’s house. About 25 members of the family were there and gathered around and I presented THE flag. It has never been harder for me to speak. I think I did ok.

Greg's brother Jeff was there. I remmeber the tears in his eyes as I presented the flag to his sister-in-law, Greg's wife. I remember a hug from him and thanks for bringing them THE flag.

Last night I recieved a call... coming home from another PGR mission... a car crossed the center line and hit Jeff head on... He's in a coma, it doesn't look good.

In the last month, this family has also lost a son in Iraq.

Please pray for him, for his family, his kids. PLEASE!!!

Saturday - 1744th and Bowman Family

2007-09-17T08:47:00.000-05:00

Saturday started at 0300. It should have started at 0900 but the missus wanted to have breakfast Saturday morning before I went on a PGR mission, with some PGR folks she hasn’t seen in a while. Well, then she proceeds to say out till 0100 and informs me as she crawls into bed, that she is gong to sleep in... Jeese. Those people she hasn’t seen in a while are going to be there so I CAN’T sleep in.

So, I’m up at 0330 (read O-Butt thirty), dragging my tired ass around (I was up till 2300 hours Friday night trying to sew... (that’s another blog post at another time, promise) trying not to wake anyone.

It was 38 degrees here Saturday morning and predicted to be 68 for a high. Leather was the uniform for the day but I had to be sure there was room in the saddle bags to put things as I warmed up.

0400 - I head out. After a summer of 33 90+ degree days my blood has thinned, bad. My coat wasn’t zipped completely, no gloves and no head covering except for a very thin skull cap. And for those that don’t know, no windshield (a.k.a. - wuss shield) I love the cold, I am almost never cold. Last year I rode in 20 degree weather.

It is 8 miles from my house to the first meeting place. How do I say this... OK, it was just COLD!!! By the time I got to the first McDs (and there was no interstate riding) I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. My gawd I was cold. On go the gloves, skull mask, zip the coat up to my neck and zip the sleeves closed. I was better, and we were on to the second stop for breakfast and hot coffee. I was much better.

Enough about me. The real reason for Saturdays trip. The 1744th was coming home!! 150 members of The 1744th Transportation Company were coming home after 17 months in the sand box, all of them!!

We, about 20 of us, met with them at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, IN. We rode up I-65, around Indy on I-465 then west on I-74 to the Indiana Illinois line. At the IL line about 50 Illinois riders joined us and we went on to I-39 and up to Streater, IL.

The IL State police escorted us the whole way. About 10 miles into IL the bridges were full of people waiving flags and waiving at their Illinois sons and daughters coming home. At the Streater city limits we were picked up by two fire trucks and a Streater city police officer. Sirens screaming, lights flashing, we entered the town. The streets were lined with flags and well wishers. Children, grand parents, parents, brothers and sisters lined the streets with signs ‘welcome home’, ‘we are proud of you’, welcome home John, your family missed you’.

In the central park are of the town several hundred (maybe a thousand, I can’t estimate crowds) people were waiting. As the heroes got off the buses you could hear the families call out ‘Johnny, we missed you’. The solders, not yet relieved from duty, had to off load and form ranks one more time.

As they walked by, many... most were mugged by family. Long hugs from tearful family. A husband smelling his now year old son for the first time. A mother holding her now walking and nearly talking 3 year old.

As the solders were being dismissed we crossed the street and had some late lunch at the local VFW. Shortly after that we left.

Here are a couple videos and pics. They’re from my phone, so give me a break on the quality, but I think you’ll get an idea of the festivities.

Now for the mission of missions and to date, the greatest honor I have had with the PGR.

While we were in Camp Atterbury some of us decided to ride on to Illinois. The reason, the Sr. Ride Captain from IL, Greg Bowman died last weekend in a motorcycle accident. He had just logged 20K miles in 20 weeks, on PGR missions. Because our first mission is funerals of KIA and in effect Greg was in action, in our minds. We reasoned that many of the IL riders would be there and not able to meet the 1744.

News of Greg’s death had reached these troops. In a brief but very honorable ceremony Caption Jennings presented us, the riders going all the way to Streater, IL, with a flag. Not just A flag, THEIR flag. Yeah, the flag they had flown in Iraq for 16 months at their duty station. It was their request, that we present this flag, as a token of their appreciation for his service to Americas Military, to Mrs. Bowman.

During our quick dinner, it was decided that I *gulp* should present the flag to Mrs. Bowman... wow, this is more of an honor than I can describe. I’m glad it was about an hour to Princeton, IL because I spent the time composing my self and trying to find some words that might express what I was feeling and what needed to be said.

When we got there, the official service was over so we went to the Bowman’s house. About 25 members of the family were there and gathered around and I presented THE flag. It has never been harder for me to speak. I think I did ok.

20 hours after leaving home, 675 miles passed. 150 Heroes are home. THE flag has been presented. A widow knows her husband will not be forgotten. Tears were shed. Hugs were exchanged. New friendships have been formed.

And I am humbled.

It was a good day.

Honoring 9/11

2007-09-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."
- John F. Kennedy

We, as a Nation, must honor those who gave some and those that gave all. We must unite in our honor, regardless of our opinions, to those that have and will preserve our nation’s freedom and liberty. We, as a Nation, mustn’t view this war as an atrocity. We must view this as the world democracies, as we know it, stand against a belief having powerful similarities to the Axis of Evil from World War II. Our forefathers served and died protecting our freedoms and liberties. We, as a Nation, are poised to cross that threshold once again. We must see the parallels between Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers. We shouldn't hide behind our political beliefs nor our misguided attempts to rationalize our dissent. Our American History clearly defines our resolve and present day shall not be an exception. We, as a Nation, shall not stand cowardly towards our aggressors. Our fellow countrymen fight bravely each day and we, as a Nation, shall honorably support their efforts. I fear that if we abandon our fellow countrymen who are patriotically providing the ultimate sacrifice, we shall reap the bitter harvests that were sown.

Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the soldiers don't have that problem.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."
- Abraham Lincoln

Yes, We Support Our Troops

2007-09-05T17:26:00.000-05:00

I left The Barn about 8:30 for downtown Indy. It was a bout a 2-2.5 hour ride. I was SOOoooo glad we stopped about half way. I bought a 32 oz Gator Aid and chugged it down. It was a big help in finally finely making me feel ‘human’ again.

We were scheduled to meet with ALR (American Legion Riders) and MCR (Marine Corps Riders) in an old mall parking lot on Indy’s east side and ride west into down town. Lloyd was there with water (good thing, it was HOT!!). And Terry was there with about 175 3x5 flags.

This was our second year to do this rally. It is cool, the group www.USMCFamilies.com puts the whole thing on. All we really have to do is line the steps with flags.

This year, they decided we ‘needed some honor’ and had us head up the steps while a band played a biker/patriotic song. The singer had been there last year and was inspired to write and perform for us this year.

So, we took our place along the stairs of the War Memorial in Indy. We had about 100 people holding about 100 flags. It was a sight to see. (l got pictures, oooo, aaaahh).

From somewhere (about half way through) a group of political supporters that we don’t care for decided to walk by yelling some crap... heh!! you should have seen 100 leather clad biker types head down the stairs with flags in hand. A rough line was formed and they passed on by. Apparently headed down to a rally of their own. The neatest part was the folks standing around watching asked if they could have a flag and join us. Before they could get by, almost all of Terry’s 175 flags had been grabbed up and were flying!!! It was FANTASTIC!!!

One of the speakers L/CPL Klay South (fonder of Veterans of Valor http://www.veteransofvalor.org/ ) just had to thank us. Said something about there still being fighters in America and we will win this with people like this supporting us. He made us blush. LOL!!!

One of the highlights of the rally was John Kiger (country singer). He preformed his newest single “Ooh Rah Up” (he spells it oorah up). WOW!! What a powerful song and so true to the Marine spirit. You can find the song at www.oorahup.com. It is a 99 cent download and all of the proceeds go to USMC Families for the month of September. How cool is that!!! This is a video from the rally, but PLEASE, go down load the song... it's only 99 cents!!

The rally finished with the members of USMC Families reading the names of all Indiana’s fallen heroes.

It is my honor to list their names here.

Allen Jr. Ronald D. - Specialist
Amos II John D. - Private 1st Class
Babb Brock A. - Sergeant
Balmer Ryan A. - Technical Sergeant
Baughman Nathaniel S. - Corporal
Beadles Jason J. - Corporal
Bechert Michael A. -
Black Jarrod W. - Sergeant
Blair Jonathan F. - Corporal
Blakley Richard A. - Staff Sergeant
Blodgett Clinton C. - Specialist
Blue Shaun M. - 1st Lieutenant
Boling Craig A. - Sergeant 1st Class
Brown James - Lance Corporal
Buckley Roy R - Specialist
Carter Curtiss A. -
Childress Kyle William - Sergeant
Clemens Brian -
Colburn Gavin J. - Private 1st Class
Colvill Jr. Robert E. - Sergeant
Corban Jeffrey W. - Specialist
Davenport James R. - Lance Corporal
Deblanc Darren A. - Private 1st Class
Depew Cory R. - Private
Faulkenburg Steven W. - Command Sergeant Major
Faulkner James Daniel - Sergeant
Fiscus Michael -
Flanigan William T. -
Frantz Matthew C. - Specialist
Frickey Armand L. -
Frigo Nathan J. - Petty Officer 1st Class
Frist Luke P. - Specialist
Fritsche William R. -
Gamble Jr. Carter A. - Specialist
Gonzalez Zachariah -
GramesSanchez David J. - Lance Corporal
Hallal Deryk L. - Private 1st Class
Halling Jesse M. - Private
Hartge Nicholas S. - Private 1st Class
Harting Adam J. - Specialist
Heath David M. - Sergeant
Hensel Shawn D. - Private 1st Class
Hester Charles B. - Private 1st Class
Hill Joshua -
Hillenburg Eric - Lance Corporal
Hudson Christopher E. - Private 1st Class
Idalski Nicholas R. - Specialist
Jack Edward E. -
Jeffries William Andrew - Specialist
Johns Jason D. -
Jones Rickey E. - Sergeant
Keith Chad L. - Sergeant
Kimmell Matthew A. - Staff Sergeant
King Bradley D. - Staff Sergeant
Kirkpatrick David Austin - Private 1st Class
Langenbrunner Richard P. - Private 1st Class
Lee James -
Lewsader Jr. Roy P. -
Lueken Eric R. - Corporal
McKinley Robert L. - Private
McKinzie Antoine J. - Corporal
McLochlin Jeffrey -
Miller Jr. Frederick L. - Staff Sergeant
Monroe Christopher T. - Specialist
Montgomery Jr. Robert J. - Sergeant
Muralles Marcus -
Murray Jr. Robert W. - Private 1st Class
Pabla Paul - Staff Sergeant
Pahnke Shawn D. - Private
Penisten Brian H. - Specialist
Pfender Jonathan R. - Private
Powell Willard M. - Corporal
Proctor Joseph E. - Sergeant
Profitt Jason -
Putnam Cody A. - Corporal
Rios Duane Roy - Sergeant
Rojas Jonathan - Staff Sergeant
Sanders Gregory Paul - Specialist
Seal Aaron L. - Corporal
Seig Anthony P. - Private 1st Class
Shank Neale M. - 1st Lieutenant
Simmons David N. - Private 1st Class
Sirko Steven F. - Private 1st Class
Smith Darrell L. - Corporal
Snyder Norman -
Stahl Nathan E. - Private 1st Class
Strong Joseph A. - Specialist
Swain James E. - Lance Corporal
Thompson Lance M. - Corporal
Trost III Marvin Lee - Staff Sergeant
Weiss Andrew R. - Specialist
White Raymond L. - Specialist
Wiesemann Michael J. - Specialist
Wilkey Jr. David A. - Private 1st Class
Wilson Bryan S. - Corporal
Wright Jeremy -
Zubowski Scott A. - Lance Corporal

F A M I L Y

2007-08-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.
He said, 'Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you.'

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said,
'While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.
'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'
He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'

I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'
He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway.'

I said, 'Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'

F A M I L Y

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.

But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

A Rally-Full Weekend

2007-08-24T12:39:00.001-05:00

It’s gonna be a busy weekend.

Cpl. Hensel’s mission and funeral Saturday morning; the state wide ‘Gathering of The Guard’, the 2nd annual; then Sunday is the 3rd annual Support Our Troops Rally in downtown Indianapolis.

The mission is below.

The state rally (on the 25th) - there is gonna be a band, a bonfire, camping, a hog, a fund raising ride and lots of food and fun!!! DC and Officer Baby are making eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast. Then we (a lot of us) are heading to Indy for the Support Our Troops Rally.

Should be a great time. As always, if you are in the Indy area and have respect for the families and our soldiers, please join us.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

2007-08-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Shawn D. Hensel, 20, of Logansport, Ind., died Aug. 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds during an enemy attack. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
The circumstances surrounding the death are under investigation.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the public affairs officer on call).

Tomorrow the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders gather in Logansport Indiana to honor the family and remember the sacrifice made by Cpl Shawn D. Hensel. He was promoted posthumously.

It is our honor.

This mission has three parts;
* Part one, yesterday, was an escort detail. Cpl Hensel was flown into Lafayette Regional Airport. I had to work, but it is my understanding that over 50 bikes were present for the escort form Lafayette to Logansport.
* Part two, today, is an honor guard at the church. Some of our members will stand for an hour or two with flags, honoring the family, honoring the man.
* Part three, tomorrow (Saturday), is the funeral. I will be there for this part.

If you will be in or near the Logansport Indiana area Saturday, please join us.

Some of the guys that were there yesterday posted some of their thoughts on the PGR page, I think you should read them.

**********************

I just returned home from the escort for CPL Hensel and all I can say is WOW. We had 59 bikes at the last count, great turn out, thanks to all who came for this escort. I talked with Shawn's father after the escourt and he was amazed with what he saw and wished to thank each and every one of you all for showing up on such a HOT day. I was very impressed with the turn out of citizens along the entire route but most especially with the small town of Delphi. I think everyone in town was on the street as we came through. I nearly couldn't see to drive going through there with all the tears in my eyes. THANK YOU DELPHI and thank all the members of PGR you were great.

I am sooooo proud to be a PGR member,
Terry M.

**********************

What an HONOR to ride for this American HERO in the first stage of this mission. Shawn was taken home with all the dignity, respect and HONOR he so richly deserved.

As Terry said above, it is hard to ride with so many other bikes when your eyes keep running over. The out pour of people in the town of Delphi was outstanding. Makes it real hard to swallow let alone even talk. When we passed that Catholic school and all those little girls were pressed against that fence, some with their little hands over their GREAT BIG HEARTS, it was overwhelming. The bike got washed again. It was an outstanding mission from the start. Being invited by the family inside the hanger to be a part of them in this sad hour was very very humbling. Even Kalitta's pilots were right there showing the respect they always do. I had to go over and tell them so and how much it means to the family and we as PGR's, for them to display the respect they always do. I did thank them for us. I thought the one pilot was going to lose it and if he did, I would have too. Very emotional.

Ray

Public Service Announcement

2007-08-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

The Loopy Libertarian at Chromed Curses has a post dedicated to a new site. LL seems to have developed a lot of sites for different charities in the past. And this one is just as important as the others and definitely worthy of promoting here at Indiana PGR.

She has developed a website for a brand new charity called America's Wounded Heroes. Visit their website (still under development) and read about their mission. America's Wounded Heroes donates not only to our military personnel, but also to wounded public safety personnel here at home. Your dedicated public servants like law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs deserve just as much assistance for their duties.

Another site called VA Joe's is soliciting votes for the most worthy charity. The winner gets a $2,000 donation. Can you imagine a new charity winning $2,000 right out of the gate? The competition is stiff though with such noteworthy sites like Adopt A Platoon and Soldier's Angels. Registration is free at VA Joe's and there is an opt-out for emails and the such. And if you're not sure if you'd like to register or not to vote, why not drop some spare change into America's Wounded Heroesdonation jar?

Give America's Wounded Heroes some serious consideration, would you?

Cemetery Escort Duty

2007-07-19T22:38:00.000-05:00

I received this tonight from a Gold Star Father... he's very special to me. Every time he is at a PGR ride I think of his son and the price paid. He understands what sacrifice to our country is, first hand. That made reading this all the more thought-provoking to me. Even though I have never served it reminds me that many others have and paid a heavy price.

I don't know who wrote this, but it couldn't be more right.

I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's for a few cold ones. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever -- the heat and humidity at the same level -- both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace.

An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed. She had a cane and a sheaf of flowers, about four or five bunches as best I could tell. I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: "She's going to spend an hour, and for this old soldier my hip hurts like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!"

But for this day my duty was to assist anyone coming in. Kevin would lock the "In" gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along , we might make the last half of happy hour at Smokey's

I broke Post Attention My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight; middle-aged man with a small pot-gut and half a limp, in Marine Full Dress Uniform, which had lost its razor crease
about 30 minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.

I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint. "Ma'am, may I assist you in any way?"
She took long enough to answer. "Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."

"My pleasure Ma'am." Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.

She looked again. "Marine, where were you stationed?"

"Vietnam, Ma'am. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."

She looked at me closer. "Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can."

I lied a little bigger "No hurry, Ma'am."

She smiled, and winked at me. "Son, I'm 85-years old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne
Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time."

"Yes, Ma'am. At your service."

She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the bunches out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC, France 1918.

She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek.

She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.

She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley
J. Wieserman USMC , 1944.

She paused for a second, "Two more, son, and we'll be done." I almost didn't say anything, but, "Yes, Ma'am. Take your time." She looked confused. "Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way." I pointed with my chin. "That way, Ma'am." "Oh!" she chuckled quietly. "Son, me and old age ain't too friendly."

She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman USMC, 1970.

She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out. "OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home." "Yes, Ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk ?"

She paused. "Yes, Donald Davidson was my father; Stephen was my uncle; Stanley was my husband; Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action, all Marines." She stopped, whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly, and painfully.

I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin waiting by the car. "Get to the 'Out'-gate quick. I have something I've got to do."

Kevin started to say something but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.

"Kevin, stand at attention next to the gate post. Follow my lead." I humped it across the drive to the other post.

When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice: "TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!"

I have to hand it to Kevin, he never blinked an eye; full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud. She drove through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for
knowing Duty, Honor and Sacrifice.

I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.

Instead of "The End"....just think of "Taps".

Quiz for Bikers

2007-07-09T07:26:00.000-05:00

True or False

Take a look, post you answers. The real answers can bee seen here.

1. Other Drivers Don't Care About Motorcyclists

2. Loud Pipes Save Lives

3. Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks

4. Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger

5. Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes

6. A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died

7. A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation

8. If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down

9. One Beer Won't Hurt

10. It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes

11. I'm Safer on the Street than on an Interstate

12. A Skilled Rider Can Stop Better with Conventional Brakes than with Anti-Lock Brakes

Independence Day

2007-07-04T23:33:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th of July everyone!!!

Home of The Brave

2007-06-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me by our own IPGR Hero. He is home now after 8-9 months playing in the sand box. welcome home Tim, welcome home.

"I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3" here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.
Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.

Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers
'And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?'

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07. LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad"

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

YOU Need to See This

2007-06-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

Go here. This is ... I have no words... this is an angel on earth.

PS: You're gonna need a tissue.

Not In The News

2007-06-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

I do a lot of reading around the blog-o-spheer. Occasonaly I come across some good ones. This is one. Go, read this at A Solder's Perspective.

Respect,

DNR

Memorial Day

2007-05-25T07:54:00.001-05:00

On Memorial Day we honor the men and women who paid the ultimate price for being an American. Each deserves to be remembered, to be kept alive, for just a little longer. There are hundreds of thousands of them, and even the millions of us who are indebted cannot possibly say all of their names. But we can pick just one - from a history book, a news report, war memorial or grave marker - and say it aloud on Memorial Day. We can give it weight, relevance, life. We can say it while we’re at the beach, at a barbecue, driving a car, or working around the yard. That one name may get us thinking about the freedoms we exercise but do not always cherish. And it may remind us that in this life, no hour can ever be too precious, no day too mundane.

National Anthem

Here are the first 4 stanzas of the National Anthem:

Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

“Ramparts,” in case you don’t know, are the protective walls or
other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question.

The second stanza gives an answer:

On the shore, dimly seen thro’ the mist of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
‘Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

“The towering steep” is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has
failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission
a failure. In the third stanza, I feel Key allows himself to gloat over
the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably
was in no mood to act otherwise.

During World War II, when the British were our staunchest allies,
this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more
slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling:

Oh thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven - rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto –”In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Here are the lyrics for Taps, the tune most often played honoring the fallen brothers. It's also played at the end of each day on military bases.

TAPS

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies,
All is well, safely rest.
God is nigh.

Then good night, peaceful night,
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright,
God is near, do not fear
Friend, good night.

Composed By Major General Daniel Butterfield
Army of the Potomac, Civil War

This bugle call was written during the Peninsula Campaign of the
Civil War in the year 1862 after a battle near Richmond, Virginia
which saw a large number of Union causualties. It is said that the
tune came to then Brigade Commander Colonel Daniel Butterfield,
while reflecting sadly on the losses. According to the story,
Butterfield unable to write music, hummed it to his aide who wrote
it down in musical notation. It was performed that evening by his
bugler, Oliver W. Norton in honor of fallen comrades. In 1874,
it became officially recognized by the U.S. Army as an alternative
to "Lights Out" and since has been used not only a signal that day
was done, but also as means of saying good-bye to a fallen comrade,
usually accompanied by the drumbeat, Muffled Ruffles. It is customarily
played at military funerals across the land.

"I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom." Abraham Lincoln's letter to Mrs. Bixby

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Ronald Reagan

Make sure to take a moment this weekend to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Whether you believe in today's war or wars of past, remember it is those who sacrificed their all to allow you the privilege of freedom. One day soon, this privilege will disappear only to be replaced by man's right to enjoy freedom. Until that day arrives, we honor those brave individuals to quietly and courageously brought about order from the chaos.

I'm Already Home

2007-05-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

The following is a BMS (Blurry Monitor Syndrome) post.

Tim McGraw performed at the 42nd Annual Country Music Awards May 15, 2007. He flew in family members of fallen troops all expenses paid to Las Vegas where the show was being taped. The families were standing behind Tim as he sings the song, making it that much more special. The video is cut short and it's a shame, the families coming out on stage was soul wrenching.

"This kind of generosity and support for our troops overwhelms me," said Debbie Lee who will be there, mother of Marc Alan Lee , the first Navy Seal killed in Iraq on 8-2-06. "Especially when we see so many from Hollywood and the music industry who use their voice and money to protest the war in Iraq," she continued.

I'm still trying to figure out how Tim held it together during that performance. The lyrics are so powerful and hit home to the broken families around the world. I hope he adds this to the soul2soul concert this summer. Hats off to Tim, Warren brothers, and Dancehall Doctors for an amazing tribute.

Dear Families of Fallen Troups, God bless you. May you find strength and peace with each passing day. And may God bless you with healing beyond belief. I only wish there was more I could do, but God can do it all, and I will pray often for all of you.

I'm Already Home

If you’re reading this…and my mama’s sitting there-
Looks like I only got a one-way ticket over here.

Sure wish I…could give you one more kiss-
War was just a game we played when we were kids.

Well, I’m laying down my gun…I’m hanging up my boots-
I’m up here with God and we’re both watching over you.

So lay me down…in that open field out on the edge of town-
And know my soul…is where my mama always prayed they’d ever go…
If you’re reading this –
I’m already home.

If you’re reading this…half way round the world-
I won’t be there to see the birth of our little girl.

I hope she looks like you…I hope she fights like me-
And stands up for the innocent and the weak.

I’m laying down my gun…I’m hanging up my boots-
Tell dad I don’t regret that I followed in his shoes.

So lay me down…in that open field out on the edge of town-
And know my soul…is where my mama always prayed they’d ever go…
If you’re reading this –
I’m already home.

If you’re reading this…there’s gonna come a day-
When you’ll move on and find someone else and that’s okay.

Just remember this…I’m in a better place-
Where soldiers live in peace and angels sing amazing grace.

So lay me down…in that open field out on the edge of town-
And know my soul…is where my mama always prayed they’d ever go…
If you’re reading this –
I’m already home.

A Letter form My Hero

2007-05-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

Something must be seriously wrong. Could it be, dare I say it, we might have finally tamed this wild, wild west. I came in today and there was not a crisis to handle! All my reports are done and I have no scheduled appointments. WOW!!! I'm going to start a project I've wanted to do but have not had the time yet. It's eerie! I can finally take a breath and not have to rush. I might even work 12 hours today! That'll be a first! If it stays like this I may even be able to take my first day off on Monday. Of course this could just be the calm before the storm. Hopefully it stays this good until I leave. We deserve a rest. We've worked our asses off up to now. My replacement is due in about a week. I should have about 10 to 14 days to work with him. That will be great for him. I only had 6 hours to train with the guy I replaced and that sucked. This time It'll get done right.

I'm so looking forward to being crammed in like a sardine into a freedom bird to make the trip home. I'm going to miss a lot of friends I've made here. It's surprising how many people you can meet in a shelter while waiting out the next boom. Everyone here has a common bond. Everyone who has ever served in the military knows what I mean. Everyone who has ever served in combat especially knows what I mean. All my PGR brothers and sister know what I mean. Even if they never were in the service they feel that camaraderie of a shared experience. A meaning and purpose in life higher than one's self.

Yesterday we hit the 100 degree mark for the first time. It is supposed to climb higher each day for the next 7 days according to the seven day forecast. Supposed to be 110 by then. I'm glad to be out of here before summer! Before I go we will see some days above 120 according to the forecasters. My hats off to the troops that have to work in all that heavy battle gear outside in the heat. The IBA (Individual Body Armor or as we call it battle rattle) adds another 70 pounds and does not let your torso or head breath.

My one wish is that all Americans could see and feel the pride I have in these young volunteers. They are absolutely America's finest! I wish all American's could see and experience what is truly happening over here. It's certainly not what's fed to them by the news media and the Xxxxxxxxs. The Iraqi people are just beginning to understand what freedom is. They will and are fighting! They are just not ready to go it alone yet. When we won our independence had it not been for France's support militarily and financially we would not have made it. Now it is our time to help and support Iraq. America did not have the enemies camped on our borders trying to subvert us like Iraq does. It will take time maybe even a couple more years but this battle can and will be won. We and the Iraqis are winning everyday. I just wish I was more eloquent. There is a difference between being talkative and eloquent. I am passionate about this! It's a conviction of my soul! I wish I could put into words my feelings so everyone could understand what I feel when I see the greatness here in the Iraqi people yet to be realized. Also my dismay with those who would distort the truth and lie about our successes here.

Well I better go before I get mad again at the wimps!

155 mortar and rocket attacks on base, over 500 have missed the base moral is high!

God bless you all! See you soon!

What I will miss about Iraq.

Today as we drove to lunch I saw a little Iraqi girl about 10 years old walking her sheep families 2 dozen sheep along the fence. She was barefoot as all the farmers here are. When someone says dirt poor they are talking about these people. She looked through the fence and waved as we passed by. She waves every time she sees us. We've never talked to her or even stopped but we always wave back. We've gotten accustomed to looking for her everyday. When we were returning the sheep had bedded down in the heat and she had removed the sash she wears around her waist and pitched a make shift shelter from the sun with her sash and a couple of sticks. She sat in the shade of her shelter as we approached. Then she jumped to her feet and stepped out in the sun to jump up and down waving and smiling so we would be able to see her back off in the field. We waved and honked as we went by. This has become a ritual for us everyday. I have never met this little girl but I will never forget her. I do not think the others will either. She is a symbol of why we came here and why we joined the military. Excuse me I have to wipe my eyes. I will miss but never forget the look on her face. She embodies the hope for Iraq!

Today in History

2007-04-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there remember whats important about today?

The event that forever changed our Nation and our World. BMS...

Guardian of Brothers

2007-04-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

The night slowly turns to dawn as the sunrise crawls cautiously over the barren black path. Calm embraces the moment as a gentle breeze quietly ruffles the landscape. The air is crisp and chases the warmth from the skin. Off in the distance a rumbling can be heard, stirring both creature and man alike. All eyes face the East in preparation of the suns warming embrace. And yet the rumbling grows ever louder and breaks the eerie silence. And from the East a glint of light breaks the horizon. Dancing in unison with the sunlight as it shatters the darkness. And then another glint flickers along the horizon. All too soon the horizon is alive with flashes as the rumble gains strength. And just as quickly the flashes cease and they form a looming shadow cascading through the countryside.

The shadow gains momentum as it descends upon the unknowing people. The rumbling transforms into a dull roar as the shadowy beast advances. The wind carries an ominous odor, familiar yet strange. All eyes are still affixed upon the sun, mesmerized by the shadowy beast emerging from the horizon and the sun devours the crisp air. Nervously they shuffle in place frozen by indecisiveness.

The sun and the shadowy beast close the distance rapidly. Finally from the shadows an image appears, bringing with it a soothing calm for the people. For in this image waves gallantly the colors of red, white and blue. As the beast’s image shatters into fragments, the ten riders began their formation. The ominous smell is quickly recognized as a mix of leather and fuel. The senses are alive and working spontaneously to process all the information. The rumbling increases as these brave guardians of the patriotic brethren thunder past on steel horses. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table returning triumphant from battle and weary from the ride maintain formation until their ceremonious journey pauses. From this day forward a bond has been forged. Acknowledgement of this bond is unspoken, exchanged only by a hand shake and the familiar gaze within their eyes. A sense of honor and respect envelops the crowd, intensified by each handshake. And when the honor, respect and gratitude is validated, the guardians climb upon their steel horses. As the guardians thunder into the distance escorting their new brethren, the rumble turns into a ceremonious cannonade. The final journey home of our patriotic brethren will be forever engrained within the memories of both fellowships.

From this day to the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he who today rides by my side and stands by these courageous brethren with me, shall be my brother. And he who rides with foot pegs down, shall forever be embraced by our fallen heroes, patriotic and guardian alike. Let no man paint abstract lectures of this bond nor cast stones upon glass houses. And with this, no man shall break the bond between the guardians and the patriotic brethren.

Missing a Friend

2007-04-17T12:25:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be aware my brother was in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. It was a hard time for me. Communicating with him abruptly stopped several times and I had a very hard time with it. He was ok and in his smart-ass-younger-brother way chided me, explaining he "had a job to do" and would be out "working" some times, “Don’t worry” He said.

Now I (and we) have a friend in Iraq. The communication with him is not as constant, I still worry, looking almost daily for updates from him, from the sand box.

Last night these pictures were received from him.

(click image for larger view)

His sacrifice is without equal, pausing a personal and professional life to fight for a cause that many in America have lost the taste for. Yet he is there, they all are there. Through hardships we cannot imagine.

This is an excerpt from a recent e-mail.

When I came over here a lot of the literature spoke about the insect problems and other creatures. I had not seen any since arriving here. That is until last night! Holy crap! Every nasty pesky bug on the face of the planet came out. It's so bad that you walk away from all light sources because the ground crunches beneath your feet and they are pelting you as you walk. You do not turn on the outside light around your pod because of the bugs. You enter in the dark close the door and then turn on your inside lights. They are still all over in the daylight too. One kid got stung by something and his head blew up like pumpkin. He's going to be alright.

It's 14:30 (2:30 pm) and the temp is 92. It's supposed to reach 96 today. 105 attacks so far! [mortar attacks on the base he is in]

In the event he should read this;
Know, my friend, that you are missed.
You are continually in my thoughts and prayers.
God’s peace, God’s speed and my He keep you safe.

The silence of you not riding is much worse than the silence of your ride.

Mission Accomplished

2007-04-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

Staff Sgt. Bradley King, who was killed April 2 in Iraq, was honored with a funeral procession by the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders. The Marion Chronicle Tribune covers the story as well as the Indianapolis Star.

I am proud and honored to be part of this organization!

Biker's Zen (Wise Words From the Road)

2007-04-04T12:14:00.000-05:00

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars
to the saddle.

Life may begin at 40, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 110 mph!

You start the game of life with a full pot o' luck and an empty pot o'experience... The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck. If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.

Midnight bugs taste best.

Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.

It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.

The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror.

Never be afraid to slow down.

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tank-full of fuel before you can think straight.

Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.

If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.

A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived.

Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go.

A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it.

Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.

Always back your bike into the curb, and sit where you can see it.

Work to ride and ride to work.

Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.

Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude.

When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does.

Winter is Nature's way of telling you to polish.

Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.

People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.

Sometimes, the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.

Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil.

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

The twisties - not the superslabs -separate the riders from the squids.

When you're riding lead, don't spit.

A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the
middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.

Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.

There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

Don't lead the pack if you don't know where you're going.

Practice wrenching on your own bike.

Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.

Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.

Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.

A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of fuel.

If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape, it's serious.

If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be.

Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck.

There are drunk riders. There are old riders. There are NO old, drunk riders.

Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save your butt from "road rash" if you go down.

The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.

Always replace the cheapest parts first.

You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze .

Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

There are two types of people in this world, people who ride motorcycles, and people who wish they could ride motorcycles.

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."

BMS Alert

2007-03-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

Make sure you have a tissue handy.

PGR Links

2007-03-29T16:14:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, Indy Harley maintains a calendar of missions for us. (see it HERE) It is a great tool and one click shows you the weather forecast for 5 days and any Indiana PGR Missions. With occasional additions from surrounding states.

BUT…

Did you know that several of our surrounding states have calendars too? And if they don’t they have a summary link?

So, if you live near a neighboring state or just have a hankering to ride, here is a list of our surrounding states calendars and mission lists.

Indiana Calendar
Illinois Calendar
Michigan Calendar
Kentucky Link List
Ohio Link List

Bookmark our Indiana Blog, and we’ll maintain the links to these calendars, so you’ll always have the correct link. As we find similar information for other states we’ll add it too.

While you’re here... look around, read some posts, leave a comment... you might even ask us a question... who knows, we might even answer it. lol!!

DNR

Marine Sgt. Gary S. Johnston

2007-03-27T16:53:00.000-05:00

A good PGR friend of mine sent this to me, SergeantMoon. His son is a Marine, Gary was his son’s best friend.

The letter is form the BBC and is about their visit to Winthorst, TX

The link is the audio file (mp3 format) from the BBC.
As Mr. Johnston says, we in middle America are VERY proud of our country and our sons.

In Memory of:

Marine Sgt. Gary S. Johnston

21, of Windthorst, Texas; assigned to 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Okinawa, Japan; died Jan. 23 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

***********************************************************

Dear Angela,

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home, and for telling us about Gary and how you and all your friends and neighbors in Windthorst have been coping with his loss.

Jamie and I found the experience very moving. Neither of us have seen anything quite like the scenes at Gary's funeral. I know you are very proud of him, and the town of Windthorst certainly gave him an amazing send-off.

It is obvious to us that Texas looks after its own, and the sense of community spirit in Windthorst is very strong.

I am sending you a copy of the piece we did. I hope you think it is okay. If you have any problems playing it please let me know and I will send you a CD in the post instead. I am sorry I didn't get to send this yesterday, but I have had a few computer problems here...

Thanks again for having us, and for feeding us!!! Please pass on my regards to Nebin, and say hello and thank you to everyone else who made the effort to come over on Wednesday evening.

It was a pleasure to meet you all.

Take care, and as I say, please let me know if you have any problems with the mp3 file.

Piers.

*****************************************************

The Audio Clip

Photo From Saturday

2007-03-27T09:31:00.001-05:00

This is the gang waiting at Camp Atterbury. Photo by Jim "Infidel". Click on image for 2mg version.

WOW, What a Ride!!!

2007-03-26T13:57:00.000-05:00

Welcome Home 961st Engineers and Company B Marines

Saturday started at 0500 for me after 4 hours of sleep… that’s another story, maybe tomorrow.

With one eye on the weather radar channel, I packed leather and dressed in rain gear. The sun doesn’t coming up around here till about 0745, so it remains cool for quite a while. ‘Pack a t-shirt, a sweat shirt (might be cold again on the way home), no room for dry jeans… Just don’t get wet’ I was thinking. I left the house about 0530 and met up with Infidel at our first meeting place, McBP. A quick bite to eat and we headed off to meet the other Indy area riders just south of the outer belt. We had wet roads for this first leg, read “lots of road spray”, thankfully no real rain.

Friendships, I believe, are built through common bonds and sharing emotional experiences. These people are my friends. When you haven’t seen some of them in weeks, sometimes months, the reunions are heartfelt. We hug, we laugh, we catch up, it’s like they we're never really gone. They have been missed, but never stray far form my thoughts.

We met up with the other Indy area riders and hit the road again at 0700. About 45 minutes later we are at Camp Atterbury. The busses are scheduled to leave at 0800, we got there before the busses… the busses arrived at about 0815. What’s that saying… “hurry up and wait”

We hit the road at about 0900. 16 bikes and 10 of those had 3x5 American flags flying. The motorcycles led the buses and our cagers, also flying 3x5 flags, followed the buses. As we turn the corner heading up the on ramp, we are all watching in our mirrors to make sure the busses made the bend through traffic. They stopped… we slowed… they sat there… and they sat there… “WTH??” We stopped. (Let me remind you from above “…turn the corner heading up the on ramp…”). Yes, we were getting on the interstate and stopped ON the on ramp. (Not the best place to stop on a motor cycle – right?) One Hero runs the 200-300 yards to our rear bike and tells him that they are missing some ‘paper work’ and that a car is running it over to them now, we’ll have to wait. We moved over and sat there. The wait wasn’t too bad, only about 15 minutes, then off we went.

The ride north was uneventful save a few hundred honks and thumbs up from by-passers. When we got to the Indianapolis area, the Indiana State police were waiting for us and escorted us through the city and out the other side about 20 miles. I believe there was 3 of them, one did not allow anyone to pass us and the other 2 rode ahead and stopped any one from entering the highway till we had passed. That was the coolest!! Riding through the city with out one car cutting into or through our line was the safest ride through Indy I have ever had!!

Our RCs (Sleepy Rider and Lobo) had made arrangements with the CO and bus drivers to let us re-fuel in Lafayette. When we stopped the heroes, of course, had to get off the buses and stretch, so we got to meet and talk with some of them.

After gassing up and changing from rain gear to leathers, we hit the road again. About 150 miles later we stopped for lunch in Merrillville, IN, and again got to meet and eat with these ladies and gentlemen. One guy from the local area met us there and led the bussed through Chicago.

Some of our original group had to head home and 6 of us took off east towards South Bend heading for Hoosier HD on the east side. Of course we missed the Hoosier HD group and had to ride over to the airport back west of S. Bend.

The local area turn out was fantastic!!! There was 85 bikes and about 20 cages. There were 40-50 fire trucks and another 20+ police cars. They were form all over N. Indiana and S. Michigan. Once Company B loaded onto the busses we (the bikes, fire trucks and police cars) escorted the 5 buses the 10 miles to the Marine Reserve Center. All along the parade route people were standing outside their houses, waving, clapping and flying flags. Many, many signs read “Thank You Company B”. At the Reserve Center their families were waiting, more signs waving, banners flapping, all surrounded by American Flags!!!

As they disembarked the busses they were swarmed by family, hugged by friends and welcomed home by other vets and the PGR. If there was a dry eye there, I didn’t see it.

As we left, some of the families noticed and started clapping… As I teared up again, I couldn’t help but think, “All we did was ride. Don’t clap for us, you are the ones that let your sons/daughters fight, you are the ones that fought… THANK YOU!! IT WAS OUR HONOR!!!”

We left S. Bend with another 150 miles and about 3 hours to get home. Darkness came and fog, thick enough to cause drips on your goggles. As I pulled into my driveway my odometer turned something over 500 miles. I was beat and my ass hurt. But, my heart was grinning and images of smiling young men and women in their dusty desert cameo would not leave my head. Some where, some how, I fell asleep hoping I would remember everything. Knowing, I WILL NOT FORGET!!!

Pictures
From;
Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
Co. B Returns

St. Patrick's Day Wishes

2007-03-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

May the lilt of lush laughter lighten ever road,
May the midst of Irish magic shorten every road.
May you taste the sweetest pleasures
that fortune ever bestowed,
And may all your friends remember
all the favors you are owed.

May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

Go mbeannai Dia duit!

Are You Joking?

2007-03-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

OK!! What’s up with this weather?? Who’s sick joke is being played on motorcycle people to have two or three wonderful warm 70+ degree days then cold rain and then snow???

Don’t get me wrong, for the right reason, I’m so there. And if you really want to dare me, I’d probably ride in the snow. BUT, the wind in your face is so much better without a rubber mask on. Can I get an AMEN?!?

It’ll be soon, the missus tell me… hrumph! Not soon enough.

Fire Up the Hogs

2007-03-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

Springtime weather is upon us in Hoosierland. The geese and ducks have started their migrations back to their nesting sites, grass is starting to green and Hogs are being fired up all across the state.

Being a short-time rider and long-time wannabe, I always get a rush when I hear motorcycles roaring to life or rumbling down the road. I have fond memories of 1993-95 riding my 1978 Suzuki GS-850 all around Indiana with my brother-in-law, may he rest in peace. I was a weekend road warrior and damn proud of it. I learned allot about that bike having repaired it and spruced it up. I might add I learned how to ride safely although if my brother-in-law was alive he'd debate that point.

And today was no different when I saw a few road warriors rumbling beside me. So instead of(cough) working (cough)today, I spent time looking for a reasonable set of 2 wheels. Reasonable as in within my price range and with feasibility of selling the missus on it.

Bike Number 1 is easily repaired and is relatively inexpensive to maintain. A bike I could easily handle any mechanical repairs. Although I question the durability in stormy weather and exposure to heat sources. And looks to be a rough ride.

Bike Number 2 is a practical choice. It can serve not only as a pleasure ride but also a working ride. I'm not to sure about the custom paint job and copyright infringements, but the lawyers can work that out. And secondly, it'll be tough in those tight spaces to maneuver. All-in-all a great source of conversation and definitely an eye catcher.

So hit the "Read More..." and leave a comment on which one, my Patriot Guard Family, I should expend all my efforts to sell the missus on. And hopefully this cager will come rumbling to a mission near you soon!

Motorcycle Number 1

Motorcycle Number 2

2007 Motorcycle Expo

2007-03-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

The 16th Indiana Motorcycle Expo was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on February 22-25, 2007. This year was a spectacular show as they provided vendors for all types of cycling. The wide selection and awesome deals on motorcycles, personal watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, go-carts, accessories and apparel were too many to mention let alone see. The Tiny Tots Test Track gave children the opportunity to test their dirt bike riding skills in a safe environment. Not only was this event humorous but also inspirational in seeing our future learning how to ride.

Yamaha's ATV Challenge is an indoor course designed to give consumers an opportunity to test drive an ATV. It had everything from logs, rocks, hills and tight turns. The only thing kissing was the bog run...although I don't think I'd be the one to help clean up. It was fun to watch people drive for obviously the first time and those that were skilled.

They also had the Annual Bikers Showcase Contest with over $3,000 in prizes. There were some truly remarkable bikes on display. The contest winner was announced Sunday, the 25th.

The Indiana Patriot Guard was also present this year. Mike Venne (vennem) tackled the monstrous challenge of coordinating not only the booth space but the people to man the booth. This was a major task as we had 4 days of the Expo to attend. Mike did a wonderful job of organizing this event. As you can see from the picture above, it turned out really nice. Indiana Patriot Guard keeps setting the standards!

Here are some snippets of Mike's post in the Completed Missions section of the forums. Mike has graciously given me permission to use his post. The forum link is listed at the bottom.

First I'll start with the tangible numbers, We sold 24 calendars, 66 Indiana PGR patches, 25 decals, 7 USS Indianapolis Hats, 2 of the new Indiana PGR Beanies (available Sunday only) and 39 cool ties. We had some 'Keep the change' and some outright donations to help with the Care Packages. Not sure what total costs were for the Indiana PGR items sold, but it should wind up with a good amount to help support the troops.

Richard and Chief thanks for letting me pursue the idea of a booth at the expo. While it's easy to have an idea, we all need to opportunity it follow them though from time to time. Bernie, thanks for everything you did and all your time.

For everyone that volunteered to work, you made it easy to set the schedule and make sure there were enough workers to man the booth at all times. I hope you found the experience rewarding.

Kyra, Lobo, Gadget, appreciate the extra time spent Thursday with the setup. You put together a great looking display. Rick, Gadget, Rosie, Tracy, Hoss, Gary and Melody great job on the tear down. They closed the expo at 4:55 and at 5:09 I was driving out the fairgrounds. What more can I say, It wasn't something one or two people could handle it took 32 of you. In fact more than that, because some of you stopped by so to all of you thanks. You jumped right in, you knew what to do and you did it well. Maverick, as they say, I think you could sell a freezer to an eskimo.

I must say I think I missed a heck of a time Sat afternoon. Batesville bunch, sorry the weather slowed things down but things for filling the late shift Saturday. Everyone that was out in the weather, I pray you had a safe eventless trip home. Dale Garrett asked me how I ended up doing this and I told him it was shortly preceded by a " gee, somebody oughta....." Once again thanks to everyone that stepped in and helped. You're a great group of people and I enjoyed working with you. Mike (vennem)

Make sure you block out your calendar for 2008! Rumor has it that next year will be at the Convention Center. That means more room and more events, bikes , apparel and shows. And of course, you'll need to sign up to help man the booth!

Originally posted on the PGR Forum.

Smoke'em If You Got'em

2007-03-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

Not really...well, ok go ahead. I smoked cigars some 10 years ago. I enjoyed the peaceful calm provided and used a cigar as an ice-breaker conversation piece. I don't recall exactly why I quit but I don't miss it. I do enjoy the smell of a good cigar and don't have any grudges towards those that smoke a stogie.

I recently read a post concerning cigars and this post lead me to a forum. And that forum lead me to another post...about sending cigars to our troops over in the sandbox. That's right...I followed along 3 places all by myself. heh

Seriously, A Soldiers Perspective blog is promoting a campaign for one of the co-authors of ASP. And during the initial phases of logistically providing this service, another wonderful aspect happend. Folks, it gets better! They've actually started a forum to discuss cigars. You can find the forum right here.

And there's more! If you decide you'd like to donate a box or two of your favorites, you can read this post here that explains the how to's. And if you don't want to mess around with International Shipments, well that detail is covered as well.

And just so happens that CplM and the authors at ASP are advocates for the Patriot Guard and the honorable service we provide. CplM has just recently deployed to the sandbox. If nothing else, stop by ASP and offer him thanks and well wishes. And the Girl Friday for this project happens to be a Patriot Guard member herself.

Folks...smoke'em if you got'em...and if you don't then send them to our troops in the sandbox.

And this whole Cigar Hour with the Chaplain is sponsored by the wonderful folks at Cigar.com!

Strangers on Steel Horses

2007-03-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

Song written and perfomed by PGR member All41 Wolf

"It was a great honor for me to write this song about some of the most outstanding patriotic people I have ever met and the thousands that I have not but still call brothers and sisters. I was a singer song writer for many years and just kinda gave it all up after my second marriage about eight years ago and who knows it may be eight years before I write again but I was so inspired by the PGR it just had to come out. I live in Tulsa OK and my friend Ike lives in Michigan. I sent him the song because I didn't have the software to add pics to the song and asked him to take pics from each of the States photo folders because this song is about and for all of the PGR nation wide."

Original Post

2008 Calendars and Assorted Information

2007-03-07T09:35:00.000-05:00

We are assimilating the 2008 Indiana Patriot Guard Riders Calendar. The 2007 Calendars were a huge success and I believe we can make this year even more successful. If you are not aware, we sell ads that will be located on the month of your choice. Of course, first come first serve. We will try our best to honor the chosen month. These ads can be business or personal (i.e. birthdays, well wishes, remembrance, love you, anniversaries, nearly anything, etc.)

We would like to offer the individuals and companies that participated last year first pick of choice month for 2008. We will be offering 144 advertising spaces this year. The pricing for these spaces are:

$50.00 per advertising space
$10.00 for each additional color (Black is free)
$15.00 for company logo *
Bonus - For each ad space purchased for the 2008 Calendar, you will receive a free 2008 Calendar.

*If you are using the same logo used on 2007 Calendar, this fee is waived

We are attempting to sell all advertising spaces by June 2008. So hurry while the spaces last! Please visit us at the Indiana Patriot Guard site for your order form.

Remember that every search you do on the internet will result in money being donated to the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders, Inc. which will be used to pay for packages we send overseas, vets in the hospital, etc.

Just click on - Good Search for Charity - and do your internet search.

Thanks and God Bless You for what you do!

All profit will be used to assist/help a veteran, or veteran family, or an active military person, or to help a veteran organization - EVERY LAST Penny.

Welcome

2007-03-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders Blog.

This site can be utilized as a gathering place for general information, links and upcoming events. We will not be posting missions. Please refer to the National Home Page for these kinds of events.

We have a few design changes to finish and a few services to add. For those RSS Feed readers, we will be providing this soon. We'll also be providing an e-mail subscription. That way, you can receive all the site updates via e-mail. A handy service if you travel or have limited Internet time.

Also, we will have interesting articles and bio's of Indiana members and our Soldiers. If you have any suggestions, Soldiers links, etc... please email us at the link provided.

Make sure to visit the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders home website. We have items for sale along with general information you need.

A Special Note: In the upcoming months we have many things planned to honor and show tribute to our military so try at least once in awhile check out the PGR site and/or the IN PGR Calendar.

A couple of such events will be July 5-8, 2007 in Indianapolis where we will be honoring the survivors of the USS Indianapolis and on June 2, 2007 at the Ramada Inn (42nd and Pendleton Pike) there will be a huge fund raiser party sponsored by Benigans for us.

Make sure to bookmark us now and help spread the word!