Memorial Day 2017

Fathers' Day

Veterans' Day 2010

To America's Veterans:

 

Thank you for your

DUTY

 

HONOR

 

COURAGE

SACRIFICE

Veterans' Day 2009

A ‘Veteran‘ is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America,” for an amount of “up to, and including his life.”

Memorial Day 2009: Thank You

Please read   THIS   over on BlackFive.

 

 

Not Forgotten: Those Left Behind

Christian Golczynski accepts the flag that draped the coffin of his father, Marine Staff Sgt. Marc Golczynski, killed 27 March 2007 in al-Anbar province.

Freedom Is Not Free

Somebody Paid.

Memorial Day 2009: Not Forgotten

Not Forgotten: Pearl Harbor

On December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By planning the attack on a Sunday, Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo hoped to catch the entire fleet at Pearl Harbor, but the aircraft carriers and one of the battleships were not in port.

When it was over, the U.S. losses were:

US Navy: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA

US Army: 218 KIA, 364 WIA

USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA

Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA

TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA.

Battleships at Pearl Harbor, December 7th:

USS Arizona - Total loss when a bomb hit her magazine; 1,177 lost

USS Oklahoma - Total loss when she capsized and sunk in the harbor; 429 lost

USS California - Sunk at her berth.

USS West Virginia - Sunk at her berth.

USS Nevada - Beached to prevent sinking.

USS Pennsylvania - Light damage

USS Maryland - Light damage

USS Tennessee - Light damage

USS Utah - Sunk

The USS Arizona:

The USS Arizona sank in nine minutes and burned for over two days.

There were 1.4 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when she sank.

Over 60 years later, approximately two quarts of oil a day still surface from the ship.

Pearl Harbor Survivors refer to the oil droplets as “black tears.”

There were 37 sets of brothers assigned to the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941.

The majority of the USS Arizona’s crew members went down with the ship: 1,177 perished, 337 survived.

This was the greatest loss of life on any U.S. warship in American history.

Thank You, Too...War Dogs

US War Dogs

America's Forgotten Heroes

Not Forgotten: Our Veterans

A VETERAN is someone who, at one point in one's life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life".

That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

- Author Unknown

It is the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer who gives us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and who's coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

-- Father Dennis Edward O'Brien

Memorial Day: Remember

Armed Forces Day

On This Date

In 1945, US Marines raised the Flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima.

Twice, actually.

The first flag was raised about 4 hours before the second, more famous, flag-raising.

 

 Marine Corps photographer Sergeant Lou Lowery captured this first flag-raising on film just as the enemy hurled a grenade in his direction.

Dodging the grenade, Lowery hurled his body over the edge of the crater and tumbled 50 feet. His camera lens was shattered, but he and his film were safe.

The 1st Flag-Raisers:
1st Lt Harold Schrier, Sgt Ernest Thomas, Sgt Hank Hansen, PFC Louis Charlo, PFC James Michaels, Raymond Jacobs, and Cpl Charles W. Lindberg (the last surviving member of all 12 men. Update: Cpl Lindberg died June 24, 2007)



Both flags are seen in this photo.

The original flag (foreground) is being taken down as the second flag is raised.


The 2nd Flag-raising, photographed by Joe Rosenthal (the famous picture) was carried out by:

Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Michael Strank, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block

(Strank, Bloch, and Sousley were killed in the continued fighting on Iwo Jima)

Not Forgotten: Col William R Higgins

February 17, 2008 will be 20 years since Colonel William R. Higgins last breathed free.

Prisoner of War or Hostage?

"February 17, 1988, USMC Lt Colonel William "Rich' Higgins, Commander of UN Group Lebanon, peace-keepers, was captured by Hezbollah extremists.

He was not considered to be a Prisoner of War. A year and a half after being taken, images of Col. Higgins' hanged body were seen on television. During those 18 months of captivity, Col. Higgins was 'interrogated' and tortured.

He was still not considered to be a Prisoner of War. Two years later, December 1991, Col. Higgins' remains were dumped on a Beirut Street. Even after burial at the National Veteran's Cemetery at Quantico, Col. Higgins was not considered to have been a Prisoner of War."

Unbelievable.

Because Colonel Higgins' country always considered him a "hostage" and never a "prisoner of war," there were never any demands of international rules of treatment, no Red Cross visits, no insistence on medical care or humane treatment, no POW medal to signify what he endured.

The State Department, not the Defense Department, had the lead. That meant diplomacy, not military might. It meant no retribution, no retaliation, no rescue.

That had to do with the perceived political sensitivities of civilians being held at the same time, but let's not ever forget we owe a special debt to those who go into harm's way because of their unique bond to this country.

Whenever and wherever we commit American service members, we must acknowledge they will be subject to those who would harm them, whether in combat or terrorist acts.

UPDATE from LtCol Robin Higgins - USMC Retired:
After over 10 years of fighting with our govt on this, I have finally received a POW Medal for Rich. Of course, the Secretary of the Navy was quick to point out that this does not change his "official status" as a detainee or hostage or whatever. Supposedly that takes an Act of Congress -- really. But you know what an American will do for a piece of ribbon. Now I can finally get Rich's medals mounted.

Rest in Peace, Marine

Justice At Last

Imad Mughniyeh, the deputy head of Hezbollah is dead, killed by a car bomb.

May Imad Mughniyeh's victims rest in peace at last:

63 people, including 17 Americans killed in the US Embassy car bombing, Beirut, 1983;

241 US servicemen, including 220 Marines, killed in their barracks by a truck bomb, Beirut 1983;

58 French Army paratroopers killed in a simultaneous bombing;

24 people killed outside the US Embassy annex, Beirut, 1984;

US CIA Station Chief William Buckley, abducted tortured and murdered, Lebanon, 1985;


   US Navy diver Robert Stethem,
murdered aboard hijacked TWA flight #847, 1985;



   USMC Col William "Rich" Higgins,
abducted, tortured and murdered in Lebanon, 1988;




29 people killed in the bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, 1992;

85 people killed in the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, 1994;

19 US servicemen killed in the Khobar Towers bombing, Saudi Arabia, 1996

Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America

at Arlington National Cemetery

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell …

Not Forgotten: Pearl Harbor

On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
By planning the attack on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet at Pearl Harbor, but as luck would have it, the aircraft carriers and one of the battleships were not in port.

When it was over, the U.S. losses were:

US Navy: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA
US Army: 218 KIA, 364 WIA
USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA
Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA

the USS Shaw, Destroyer, exploding

The USS Arizona

1,177 service members perished on the USS Arizona, making it the greatest loss of life on any U.S. warship in American history.
The majority of the USS Arizona’s crew members went down with the ship; 337 service members survived.

The USS Arizona sank in nine minutes and burned for over two days.
There were 1.4 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when she sank.

Over 60 years later, approximately two quarts of oil a day still surface from the ship which Pearl Harbor survivors refer to as “black tears.”
The bond between USS Arizona shipmates went beyond being comrades; there were 37 sets of brothers assigned to the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941.
Today, interments for deceased USS Arizona survivors are conducted on the ship.

An interesting site: The Sacred Relics of Pearl Harbor

Not Forgotten: MIA in Laos

On the night of 23/24 Nov 1967 an RF-4C (tail number 65-0844) of the 11th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was lost while on a weather recon mission over North Vietnam.

One report suggests the aircraft went down over the Plain of Jars in Central Laos; no wreckage was ever found.

The two crewmen were classified as Missing in Action:


Col Brendan P Foley, New York, NY (Pic: Right)

Capt Ronald M Mayercik, Edison, NJ (Pic: Left)


Their remains have not been recovered.

Foley and Mayercik are two of nearly 600 Americans that were lost in Laos. The Pathet Lao, stated on several occasions that they held American prisoners, but Laos was not included in the Paris Peace agreements ending the war.

As a consequence, there were no negotiations for American POWs held in Laos.

Not one American held in Laos has ever been released.

Men like Foley and Mayercik were abandoned to the enemy.

In 1979, Sean O'Toolis, an Irish-American, was touring Bong Song Camp, 40 miles south of Hanoi, on an IRA gun-buying mission, when he alleges he met and spoke with American POWs Brendan Foley and Wade Groth, who were prison workmates. He also claims to have spoken to men named MacDonald, Jenning and an O'Hare or O'Hara. He brought a message to Foley's brother and fingerprints of Foley and O'Hara. He identified old photos of Groth, and gave believable descriptions of Foley and Groth.

Reports continue to be received that Americans are alive today, being held captive. Whether Foley and Mayercik are among them is not known, but they certainly do not deserve the abandonment they received at the hands of the country they so proudly served.

Source

The Wall

The Wall

58,000 Names carved into black marble.

Dedicated November 13, 1982.

"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind."

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell

1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
Listed as KIA

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial